Psalm 72:1–7, 18–19 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 72:1–7, 18–19 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king's son.
Verse 2May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
Verse 3May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness.
Verse 4May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.
Verse 5May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
Verse 6May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.
Verse 7In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
Verse 18Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
Verse 19Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen.
Devotion
Many commentaries on Psalm 72 highlight that this prayer for King Solomon serves as a model for how we should pray for our leaders. While the prayer might seem overly idealistic in its zealous hope for a king, it serves as a powerful reminder that all leaders need our prayers.
It can be challenging to pray for those in leadership, especially when we disagree with their ideology or leadership style. Perhaps a leader has made decisions that felt personal, unfair, or unwarranted. However, the psalmist reminds us that, at their best, a leader’s deeds should reflect righteousness, justice, peace, and freedom for the oppressed.
During our Advent journey, let us remember the leaders in our lives and pray for them—that they would lead with justice, righteousness, and peace.
Prayer
God of our leaders—we pray for those in leadership. We pray that they will lead with justice, righteousness, and peace in their hearts. Amen.
Interested in digging deeper into today’s text?
Read more here.