Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.
A Psalm of David.
144 Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle;
2 My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My stronghold and my deliverer,
My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues [a]my people under me.
3 O Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You think of him?
4 Man is like a mere breath;
His days are like a passing shadow.5 Bow Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
6 Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
Send out Your arrows and confuse them.
7 Stretch forth Your hand from on high;
Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,
Out of the hand of aliens
8 Whose mouths speak deceit,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.9 I will sing a new song to You, O God;
Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 Who gives salvation to kings,
Who rescues David His servant from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of aliens,
Whose mouth speaks deceit
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.12 Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants,
And our daughters as corner pillars [b]fashioned as for a palace;
13 Let our garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce,
And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our [c]fields;
14 Let our cattle [d]bear
Without [e]mishap and without [f]loss,
Let there be no outcry in our streets!
15 How blessed are the people who are so situated;
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
David prays for a lot of things in this psalm, deliverance from floods, from rescue from deceivers, from the evil sword. Then the tune changes a bit and he prays for their children, that they would be strong and healthy, that their crops would be abundant, and their livestock prolific. How blessed indeed would be a people like this, the people whose God is the Lord…
Yet if we go back to the beginning, David asks a question that many of us have wondered, “O Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him?” The point isn’t “why” but rather stating the incredible fact, that beyond our understanding, God does indeed “take knowledge” of us and think of each of us.
So when we put our trust and hope in Him alone, we can say it along with David; That God is our rock, our lovingkindness and fortress, our stronghold and deliverer, our shield and the One in whom we take refuge. As David continues though, I think maybe there is room for a better mental picture.
David describes God bowing down the heavens, as He comes in rescue, to “touch the mountains” and cause smoke and lightning and the breaking apart of those very mountains. He says “Stretch forth Your hand from on high…” Yet here is the incredible truth: God doesn’t have to reach very far to rescue or deliver you. He is right now, right here with me, and right there with you.
Don’t hesitate to call out to Him. For that matter, you can even whisper, and He will hear you. But don’t wait, in any and every circumstance, ask for God’s help, let Him be a part of your every moment, of every despair, every defeat, and every triumph and glory. He is not far off, but He is Emmanuel, God with us–God with you. Embrace it, and let Him guide every step you make today.