Day 34: Psalms 18:35-39
Psalm 18:35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation. Your right hand has held me up. Your gentleness has made me great.
Lord, You have protected me from the consequences of my own sin and the results of others’ sins against me. Lord, Your righteousness has protected me, not because I deserve it, but by Your free grace and salvation alone.
Your right hand has held me up. Your Hand is the greatest Hand of all. No one can snatch me out of Your hand. Your hand has gotten the victory. Your strength is my strength. I have no other strength but Yours.
Your gentleness has made me great. Lord, Your kindness to me, Your patience with me, Your wisdom and patient correction, improvements, direction have all helped to establish me.
Psalm 18:36 You enlarged my path under me. So my feet did not slip.
Lord, You helped me walk on right paths. And when the path I am walking on is threatening, You widen the path so that I am walking on a wide road. You help make it easier for me to follow You. Thank You, O Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
O Lord, David said, “I am prayer” (Ps 109:4). Further Your Word tells us in Zephaniah 12:10 that God will pour out on us the Spirit of grace and supplication. O Lord, let me be a man of prayer that leads my family, this church, community, nation, yes and even the world, to be a renewed people of prayer. Help me pray to You out of my love for You, full of Your Word and Spirit. May You lead, hear and answer my prayer. Help me lead, nurture and bless others to do the same.
Psalm 18:37 I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them. Neither did I turn back until they were destroyed.
Lord, this is not my choice or my decision. Have You not told me to love my enemies, to bless those who curse me (Matthew 5:44)? Jesus prayed from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
Yet on the other hand, Lord, the apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:14, “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.” Lord, I know You will deal with Your enemies and ours in Your way and in Your time. I do pray that You would help them repent and come to Christ, but if they will not come, I ask You to remove the power of their influence.
In this passage, there is place for Christ’s vengeance on His enemies, on those who refuse to turn from their sin, who love darkness rather than light (John 3:19). Even in this life we see some justice in our dealings with our enemies. Show us how to pray, when to pray for forgiveness and healing and when to say, “May the Lord deal with them.”
Even Jesus was angry with the hypocrites who sought to find fault in Him. Yet, O Lord, Your Son, my Lord and Savior, was perfect. All I know to pray for now is that You would either convert them or remove their evil influence.
Lord, one day all Your enemies will be sent to hell. Sin, death, the devil and his angels along with all those who refused God’s grace, will be destroyed (Revelation 20:14; 21:8).
Psalm 18:38 I have wounded them, So that they could not rise; They have fallen under my feet.
You have wounded them so they could not rise. Sin, the devil and His angels have fallen beneath Your feet (I Corinthians 15:25).
Psalm 18: 39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
You have given me the ability to resist the devil so that he would flee from me (James 4:7). Your Holy Spirit, the Word, and all the means of grace give me strength. These are the weapons Christ used against the devil (Matthew 12:28; Luke 4:4; II Corinthians 10:3-6; Nehemiah 8:10). You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
Lord, for years as Joseph suffered in jail and cruelty, You were working out Israel’s deliverance. You were preparing Joseph, preparing Pharaoh, preparing Egypt and preparing Jacob and his family for Your perfect planning and perfect time. Egypt became the incubator for the growth of Israel. So may You use our sufferings and struggles to bring You glory!
Growing in Prayer 