May Your Prayers be Answered – Psalm 20

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble. May the Name of the God of Jacob defend you. May He send you help from the sanctuary and strengthen you out of Zion. May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah! May He grant you according to your heart’s desire and fulfill all your purpose. We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the Name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.” Psalm 20:1-5

Pastor Frank Westfall of Living Faith Church in Ashland, Missouri, wrote the words of this Psalm 20:1-5 in a card for Sherry, Grace and me. He had connected me with David Chu, the Executive Director of Hong Kong Youth For Christ. I wrote to Mr. Chu of my desire to bring the Gospel to China. He could not make any promises about ministry in China but welcomed me to serve alongside him in Hong Kong, which was a British Colony at that time. He said that I would be free to travel into China during my off hours. Everything came together for the mission to begin, but before we departed, Pastor Frank presented us with a card from the congregation. So, the words of Psalm 20:1-5 feel as a personal message directly from God to me.

It is good to read the Bible as a personal message directly from God to you, because although it was written under a wide variety of circumstances and to different generations of people, it is a message from God that He inspired and has preserved to bless and help each of us personally.

In John 21:25, God says, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” In John 20:30-31, God says, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name.”

The three-year-long ministry of Jesus generated enough writing topics to overflow the world with books. Many of His miraculous signs are not included in the Gospel of John, but the ones which will help us to believe in Him as our Messiah, and the Son of God, they are there for us.

God is trying to help us through the Bible and through personal circumstances to believe in Him so that we will have life in His Name. Thanks be to God for that!

Did my family experience a “day of trouble” while in Hong Kong and the did the Lord answer us? Many times!

One of my favorite testimonies to tell is about the time we were on the verge of being out of food and had no money. We needed emergency help but had resolved to tell no one but God of our personal needs. We held onto God’s promise in Psalm 37:25 which says, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” The Holy Spirit gave me a gift of faith to pray, “Father, please just send the money on the backs of angels.”

That day a check arrived from an elderly gentleman named Douglas Frazier. In the card, he wrote, “Buy your family something to eat.” We had not heard from Mr. Frazier for a long time. He had been a landlord of ours when we were in college. What’s more? The envelope had no stamp and no postal mark on it, but it was in our mailbox at the Kowloon Post Office. It had passed through mail systems half way around the world by the intervention of angels.

David believed that God answers prayer, especially... in the day... in the moment... of trouble. David was a man acquainted with trouble. He had to run for his life at times due to King Saul’s madness.

Even after he became the King of Israel, David derived directions from God during his devotion times with the Lord. He had prophets, priests, and royal counselors to advise him, yet he still inquired of the Lord on a personal level.

“The Name of the God of Jacob defend you.” God preserved Jacob from being killed by his brother Esau, by his Uncle Laban, by the Hivites after his sons massacred the people of Shechem, and from starvation due to famine. According to Genesis 47:28, Jacob lived to be 147 years old. Yes, I want the Name of the God of Jacob to defend me.

“May He send you help from the sanctuary and strengthen you out of Zion.” The Ark of the Covenant housed in the sanctuary was a type of Christ. It was the place where animal blood was poured out to atone for the sins of the people. In a sense asking for help out of the sanctuary is like praying in the Name of Jesus during the New Testament times. We appeal to God for help in the Name of our atoning sacrifice Jesus Christ. Strength out of Zion is spiritual strength, strength in the soul, in the inward man. [1] This strength comes from God’s Holy Spirit living in us.

“May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice.” Before reaching out to an unbeliever, it is good to profess faith in the shed blood of Christ to cover one’s sins. The blood of Christ is the perfect sacrifice for sin. Revelation 12:11 says, “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb...” The “him” in this passage refers to the accuser of brothers and sisters in Christ (See Revelation 12:10). The enemy would have us to believe that we are unworthy or incapable to represent Christ well. That would be true if we did not have the Holy Spirit, but thanks to Christ taking away our sins, the Holy Spirit has come. Trust the Holy Spirit to guide your speech and actions. In Psalm 81:10, the Lord says, “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.”

“May He grant you according to your heart’s desire and fulfill all your purpose.” David was a man after God's own heart writing for others who had hearts for God, thus, he could pray with a clear conscience that God would grant their hearts’ desires and fulfill His good purpose in them. Those who make it their business to glorify God may expect that God will, in one way or other, gratify them to bring Him glory before other people. [2]

“We will rejoice in Your salvation. In the Name of our God will we set up our banners.” In 1 Samuel 17:45, David went against Goliath in the Name of the Lord of hosts. God helped him to do what no one thought for a moment he could do. The celebration, the banner and the trophy, belonged to the Lord. [3]

These prayers of David are prophecies concerning Christ the Son of David. In Christ, our prayers are abundantly answered. Christ won the war over the powers of death and darkness. God sent His Son help from the sanctuary in the form of an angel from heaven who strengthened Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He made Himself an offering for sin with which God was well pleased. The Father granted to Jesus His Son according to what was in His heart. He fulfilled the petition of Christ for our forgiveness. [4]

“Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed. He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright. Save, Lord! May the King answer us when we call.” Psalm 20:6-9

“Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed.” David had been anointed by the Prophet Samuel to be the king of Israel, but after he received that anointing, a lot of trouble came his way. The devil via King Saul began to persecute and try to kill him. David had many near death moments, but the Lord answered his prayers from heaven and saved him each time with His right hand.

Who sits as the right hand of God? Mark 16:19 says, “So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” The references in the Old Testament of God saving by His right hand speak of how God has given His Son the ministry of saving people. In fact, the Name Jesus means the “Lord saves.”

The word “Messiah” in Hebrew and the word “Christ” in Greek mean anointed. Jesus is God’s Anointed One. He went to the grave for three days but was resurrected by the power of God. No chariot, horse or modern weapon of warfare can deliver a person from the power of death, but Christ who is the resurrection and life can and does.

In John 11:25, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live.”

God’s people standout in the world when we exercise faith in Him. 1 John 5:4-5 says, “Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Hebrews 11:32-33 says, “David... through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised.” In 2 Samuel 8:4-5, “David captured 1,000 of his [King Zobah’s] chariots, 7,000 charioteers and 20,000 foot soldiers.” “When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 of them.” God led David to victory after victory as David trusted in Him! Praise the Lord!

“Save, Lord! May the king answer us when we call.” The King that we look to is the King of kings. We ask our Lord Jesus Christ to grant earthly kings and governors hearts to answer and serve people. To do what is best and fair for all involved! Apart from the Lord, no governing authority will have a heart of integrity, honesty and accountability.

I have noticed during my travels on the roads of America that few motorists follow the speed limits posted on signs. I have also noticed that when cars ahead of me begin slowing down, it usually means a police car has been detected, and I will look for a police car, and sure enough, there’s one up ahead on the roadside.

Just as motorists need the presence of a police car now and then to remind them to drive the speed limit so leaders of nations need to know that a higher authority is watching what they are doing. Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” Deceivers will be deceived by others. Those who defraud others will be defrauded by others. Those who sabotage people will be sabotaged.

Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever He will.” Let us pray that God will turn the hearts of our leaders to do what is right.

In John 15:5, Jesus said, “I am the vine. You are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” The “nothing” here refers to bringing forth good fruit. Let us pray that our leaders will abide in Christ so that from Christ good fruit can come forth from their lives. We are blessed in the USA to have many such leaders in our government.

Psalm 20 is a prayer for wellness. We should pray such prayers.

God promises us in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My Name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Does your church support missionaries who are taking the Gospel to lands where there are few proclaimers of Christ? If so, may I suggest to get a picture of those missionaries, place their picture where you will see it daily, and pray for them. Pray that they will be able to share the Gospel with people and be able to establish discipleship groups. Pray for protection and provisions for them. May the Lord supply all their needs according to His riches and glory.



[1] Matthew Henry Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid