Prayer Wins the Day

Posted on February 3, 2023 by Elizabeth Welte in Freedom Fighters

Several times in Psalm 18 David writes that God ‘girded me with strength.’ Girded is not a word we use much anymore; today we would say something like, ‘tightening your belt.’ It’s a reference to ‘preparing for a tough or dangerous situation by encircling yourself with what will protect and sustain you.’ To be girded then is to choose to be placed in a position of strength and David is telling us that he recognized his own vulnerability and called out to God to be strengthened by Him.

David begins, “I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies” (Psalms 18:1-3). Saying ‘I love you’ can be trite these days, it tends to be said about anything and everyone, losing the depths of its worth as an expression of the heart. But not for me… if you have been hurt or betrayed deeply, those words don’t roll easily off your lips. David uses them here because he knows God is faithful and can be trusted with the very depths of his soul. What God promises, God does.

On this basis David presses on stating, “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. He trains my hands for battle; He strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; Your help has made me great. You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping” (Psalms 18:30-36). It is on the foundation of this truth that I assert, ‘Prayer wins the day!’ From my humble position of crying out to God, ‘He girds me up with strength’, as a fortress around me, and as a mighty army that goes forth into battle against my enemies of doubt, anxiety, hopelessness, illness, disease, and the phrases, ‘it’s impossible and that can’t be done.’ For as David confidently knew, “All things are possible with God!”(Gen 18:14; Matt 19:26)

I don’t know what you face today, nor do I know what you believe about God, but what I am certain of is this; God loves you and He proved it at the cross where Jesus bore the burden of your sin… that is your leaving God out of your life, rejecting Him as ‘The Perfect.’ Today if you would turn to Him in humility and prayer… you will know victory… for prayer wins the day!

Choose wisely…

“O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” (Jeremiah 32:17)

Praying 4U!

 

Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Pastor with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is the Associate Pastor of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church. He is the author of two devotional books, “From a Chair by the Window.” And “#PrayerWinsThe Day”.

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This Week’s Verse to Memorize: “Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.” Psalm 40:11