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Psalm 20
1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
6 Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!
Augustine: Sometimes people run off to a mountain to pray, as though God will be able to hear them better from there. Do you want to make contact with God in your prayer? Humble yourself. But again, just because I have said, “Do you want to make contact with God? Humble yourself,” do not take it literally and materialistically and go off down to underground vaults and there start beseeching God. Do not go seeking either caverns or mountains. Have lowliness in your heart, and God will give you all the high altitude you want. He will come to you and be with you in your bedroom.
Devotional Prayer based on today’s readings
Loving Father, above all the requests I could ever bring you, I ask you to give me a humble heart that seeks you above all else and desires only what you desire. For you have told me through our Lord Jesus Christ that when we seek you and your kingdom first, you will provide what we need. So, Lord, I know that will also require me to trust you above all else. I don’t want to trust in material things and technology, man-made plans and schemes, or even my own intuition, but in you. I know you have provided wisdom and that godly counsel from others is a good thing. Yet, empower me trust in you and the guidance of your Spirit and word. Lead me not into the temptation of trusting in “chariots and horses” but to stand firm in you… your character, your word, your promises, and your grace. Lead me, O Lord, into paths of righteousness and remind me of your presence as I wander through the valley of the shadow of death. Above all else, Father, let my life glorify you, reflect you, and point others to you. In Christ I pray. Amen.