GOD SAVE THE KING
Opening Prayer
We turn towards You, Lord, in prayer and lift up those who exercise authority over our land and the world.
Read Psalm 72
Of Solomon.
1 Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
2 May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.
3 May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
4 May he defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
may he crush the oppressor.
5 May he endure[a] as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
6 May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
7 In his days may the righteous flourish
and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.
8 May he rule from sea to sea
and from the River[b] to the ends of the earth.
9 May the desert tribes bow before him
and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba
present him gifts.
11 May all kings bow down to him
and all nations serve him.
12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death.
14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long.
16 May grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops flourish like Lebanon
and thrive[c] like the grass of the field.
17 May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
Then all nations will be blessed through him,[d]
and they will call him blessed.
18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
19 Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.
Footnotes
a Psalm 72:5 Septuagint; Hebrew You will be feared
b Psalm 72:8 That is, the Euphrates
c Psalm 72:16 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lebanon, / from the city
d Psalm 72:17 Or will use his name in blessings (see Gen. 48:20)
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Have you ever been in a position of leadership?The church has a long and complicated history when it comes to its relations with civic government. There have been times when church and state meant more or less the same thing and other periods when the church has been in the vanguard of protest. Sadly, there have been too many eras when the church has been silent when it should have raised its voice on issues of injustice, inequality, corruption,
and environmental damage.
There are many voices calling for the church to be more involved in the affairs of government. Some argue that we are to be a critical friend to the state, speaking truth to power. And this is how this psalm reads. While the king is to be lauded and encouraged (1, 2, 8), he is also urged to defend the afflicted (4), save the children (4), crush the oppressor (4), deliver the needy (12, 13), and take pity on the weak (13). God’s people should give thoughtful, accountable support to their civic leaders.
Apply
Who are your local leaders? Do you pray for them? Look up your local leaders and current local issues. How can you pray and support those in leadership over you?
Closing prayer
Oh God, I pray now that my leaders will govern well and implement God’s values of mercy, justice, peace and love.
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Discovery is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.