Psalm 20 is a psalm of prayer before battle and 21 is the victory song praising God for the win. Today, we Christians face a constant battle against the evil powers of this world. These are psalms we can pray daily! Let’s dig in…
Psalm 20
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.
May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
2 May he send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you from Jerusalem. (Zion)
3 May he remember all your gifts
and look favorably on your burnt offerings. Interlude (Selah — pause and reflect)4 May he grant your heart’s desires
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers.6 Now I know that the Lord rescues his anointed king.
He will answer him from his holy heaven
and rescue him by his great power.
7 Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
8 Those nations will fall down and collapse,
but we will rise up and stand firm.9 Give victory to our king, O Lord!
Psalm 20 NLT
Answer our cry for help.
Psalm 21
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord!
He shouts with joy because you give him victory.
2 For you have given him his heart’s desire;
you have withheld nothing he requested. Interlude3 You welcomed him back with success and prosperity.
You placed a crown of finest gold on his head.
4 He asked you to preserve his life,
and you granted his request.
The days of his life stretch on forever.
5 Your victory brings him great honor,
and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty.
6 You have endowed him with eternal blessings
and given him the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord.
The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling.8 You will capture all your enemies.
Psalm 21 NLT
Your strong right hand will seize all who hate you.
9 You will throw them in a flaming furnace
when you appear.
The Lord will consume them in his anger;
fire will devour them.
10 You will wipe their children from the face of the earth;
they will never have descendants.
11 Although they plot against you,
their evil schemes will never succeed.
12 For they will turn and run
when they see your arrows aimed at them.
13 Rise up, O Lord, in all your power.
With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.
Pray for Victory — Praise in Victory!
Do you pray before going into a tough situation? We face challenges in life all the time. God is there for you 24/7. God is also bigger than any possible problem you may have. Be it illness, financial issues, storms, wildfires, or relationship problems, whatever it may be, God is bigger, stronger, and way more powerful than anything this world can deliver. Who do you want to put your trust in? A world that doesn’t care about you or a God who loves you unconditionally?
The priests in David’s time would read Psalm 20 as an encouragement to the troops before a battle, as a prayer asking for God’s help. See, the battle belongs to the Lord. We are not supposed to fight any battle on our own! Then once the battle was won, Psalm 21 was the praise song thanking God for the victory.
Today, we fight evil forces each day.
Paul warned us…
10 Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT
Darkness and sin lead to death.
Paul also wrote regarding the fact that not all of us will die…
51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory. (Isaiah 25:8)
55 O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?” (Hosea 13:14)56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 NLT
Because Jesus defied death by His resurrection, we who believe in Him as our Lord and Savior are promised the same victory over sin and death. We are also promised eternal life with Him in Heaven. This passage also refers to the Rapture. That’s when Jesus, the Bridegroom, comes for His born-again believers — the Bride. If you are not born again, you will be left behind. Nevertheless, you will get a second chance, however, you will have to survive the Great Tribulation. That will be a great battle. Furthermore, we know that Jesus wins in the end!
What about YOU?! Are you ready for battle?
If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…
Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit.
- Believe — have Faith — that Jesus is the Christ and He died taking your sins away forever and that He rose from the dead 3 days later.
- Repent of your sins — stop sinning! Do a complete 180-degree turn in your life and surrender your life to Him. When you ask Jesus to forgive you He will. ALL your sins will be wiped clean — past, present, and future! And All means ALL!
- Be Baptized by water baptism — show the world and yourself that you have died to your old life and are born again in Christ.
- Receive the gift of Holy Spirit in your heart.
