How to Pray for Politicians – Psalm 72
Psalm 72
Of Solomon.
1 Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!
5 May they fear you while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth!
7 In his days may the righteous flourish,
and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth!
9 May desert tribes bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust!
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands
render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts!
11 May all kings fall down before him,
all nations serve him!
12 For he delivers the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live;
may gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field!
17 May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him,
all nations call him blessed!
18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!
20 The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.
Psalm 72 is a royal coronation psalm. It’s a prayer for Israel’s king. The psalmist asks the Lord to bless him and make him just.
We have no kings here; today, this psalm can be a model for how to pray for our leaders, as well as a model for what godly leadership looks like.
Of course, Israel’s kings never actually lived up to this promise; many of them were wicked, and none of them was perfect.
Our leaders also fail us, and they will always do so. This is because we cannot save ourselves: we need a savior.
And so, this psalm is finally a messianic psalm—it’s about the Jesus, and his future reign.
When we pray, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” this is what we’re praying for.
Politics is important, but it won’t ultimately fix what’s wrong with us. Therefore, put not your ultimate trust in princes—put your ultimate trust in the Prince of Peace.
P.S. This also means that you should not put your ultimate trust or focus in politics—it can’t save us. Is your current level of anger or frustration or contempt for folks of other political opinions therefore appropriate?