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Illustration for Psalm 72: Prayer for the King

Psalm 72

Prayer for the King

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This psalm prays for a king who will be perfectly fair and good — someone who defends the poor and crushes the wicked. It describes a kingdom where peace blooms like flowers. This wonderful king is ultimately a picture of Jesus!

  1. 1Endow the king with Your justice, O God, the royal son with Your righteousness.
  2. 2May he judge Your people in righteousness, Your afflicted ones with justice.
  3. 3May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.
  4. 4May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor.
  5. 5May he endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations.
  6. 6May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.
  7. 7In his days may the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.
  8. 8May he rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
  9. 9May the desert tribes bow before him and his enemies lick the dust.
  10. 10May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him; may the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts.
  11. 11May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.
  12. 12For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.
  13. 13He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.
  14. 14He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.
  15. 15Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.
  16. 16May grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. May the crops flourish like Lebanon and thrive like the grass of the field.
  17. 17May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.
  18. 18Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
  19. 19Praise be to His glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.
  20. 20This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

What it means

This is a prayer for a king who protects poor people and makes everything fair, a kingdom where peace grows like flowers in a field. No earthly king ever quite managed it. Christians read this and think of Jesus, the King who actually does.

A little prayer

Jesus, You are the King who is completely fair and completely good. Thank You that You care about people who are poor and left out. Please let Your peace grow everywhere, like flowers in a field. Amen.

Memory verse

“For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.”

Psalm 72:12 (BSB)

It measures a leader by how they treat the people with the least power.

Talk about it

Questions with no single right answer — for a family table or a Sunday-school circle.

  1. The psalm prays for a king who will defend the poor. What would a leader like that change first?
  2. It hopes the king's rule will be like rain on freshly cut grass. What does rain do that force cannot?
  3. The psalm asks for a good ruler rather than a strong one. Why might that be wiser?
  4. If you were in charge for a day, what is the first thing you would fix?

Try this

The rule you would make

Each person writes one law they would pass if they ran the country. Read them out and ask of each: who does this help, and who does it cost?

You will need: Paper and pens.

Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB)