By Steve Horn
Psalm 67
As we begin 2018, it seems appropriate to think upon a prayer to guide God’s church in 2018. The prayer that I want to show you today is a Biblical prayer. Rather than a prayer that we would pray for ourselves, this is a corporate prayer. Consider Psalm 67.
May God be gracious to us and bless us;
may he make his face shine upon us. Selah
2 so that your way may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, God;
let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations rejoice and shout for joy,
for you judge the peoples with fairness
and lead the nations on earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, God,
let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has produced its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Some people see in these seven verses what is called a chiastic structure. That means that the first verse mirrors the last verse, the second verse mirrors the next to last verse, and the third verse mirrors verse 5. What remains (which in this Psalm is verse 4) serves as the most important line. Think of it as a bullseye.
I want to put this Psalm, which is a prayer, in one sentence.
God, grant us Your blessing so that we might go after people with the Gospel so that we and others might give You the praise that You deserve.
God, grant us Your blessing
Most, if not all of the Psalms, are a cry from the heart. Indeed, a deep plea of the heart is the feel of this text.
This is a corporate prayer. We are unashamedly asking God for His blessing. This does not mean material blessing, but it does mean that we are asking God for more of Him—more of His power, more of His anointing, and more of His presence.
Consider these words attributed to A.W. Tozer—a preaching giant from the last century.
Before we can be filled with the Spirit, the desire to be filled must be all-consuming. It must be for the time the biggest thing in the life, so acute, so intrusive as to crowd out everything else. The degree of fullness in any life accords perfectly with the intensity of true desire. We have as much of God as we actually want.”
We will have as much of God in 2018 as we desire to have.
Go after people with the Gospel
Here is the Reason for the Request
The cry is in verse 1. The motivation for the cry follows in verses 2-5. The motivation for the request we make to God is more important than the request. James said, “You ask and don’t receive because you ask wrongly, so that you may spend it on your desires for pleasure.” (James 4:3)
But, if our motives are right, we can ask God for His blessing. When we ask God to help us to go after people with the Gospel, we can expect His blessing.
Look at the number of times in this Psalm that we have a word that reflects people.
God is not looking for a church to find their mission; God is looking for a church to fulfill His mission.
Give You the praise that You deserve
There is always a connection between glad hearts and saved people. Remember Luke 15. Three parables—lost coin, lost sheep, and a lost boy (the Prodigal). The common denominator? Rejoicing when that which was lost is found.
God, grant us Your blessing so that we might go after people with the Gospel so that we and others might give You the praise that You deserve.
Steve Horn is pastor of First Baptist Church, Lafayette, and is a former Louisiana Baptist Convention president. This editorial first appeared on his blog.
