I always thought that King David proclaimed Psalm 27 in a triumphant, resolute sort of way; showcasing his immense confidence in God. In my mind, I pictured him to be the same fearless man who stood toe-to-toe with gargantuan Goliath, anchored by an impeccable trust in God’s salvation for him. Just look at the verses below:​

“1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;​

whom shall I fear?​

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;​

of whom shall I be afraid?​

2 When evildoers assail me​

to eat up my flesh,​

my adversaries and foes,​

it is they who stumble and fall.​

3 Though an army encamp against me,​

my heart shall not fear;​

though war arise against me,​

yet I will be confident.”​

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Yet, as I ruminated on Psalm 27, that mental picture could not have been further from the truth. In this Psalm, David was literally praying for his life.​

We are not sure of the exact historical context but Charles Spurgeon surmised that it may have been from a time when David was on the run from King Saul – pursued by enemies, shut out from the house of the Lord and slandered by false witnesses. No matter what the situation, it was clearly a time of incredible crisis and stress, and David finds himself praying for his life. Psalm 27 was David’s expression of God’s presence and protection in the most difficult and dangerous season of life. Amidst the many lessons that I gleaned, two stood out most prominently for me:

David focused on what he knew about God, not how he felt in his current situation​

“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!” (Ps 27:13) Verse 13 was the linchpin that helped me understand the passage and David’s heart in this Psalm. This verse was written in the future tense (“shall look upon”), i.e… David proclaimed of the goodness of God even though he had not yet fully experienced it in the present moment. In addition, he might even have felt that his present existence was one led in the “land of the dead”! (as a contrast to the future ‘land of the living’). David’s enemies were still pursuing him. Sorrow and heartache did not vanish. He might not even have felt close to God. Yet God was still good, and David knew he would one day see that goodness again – that was what he chose to preach to himself and he preached this to himself time and time again. We see a similar expression in his most famous psalm – “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6)​

David preached God’s truth to himself time and time again​

David’s fight was not merely against the literal enemies that surrounded him but against the downcast spirit that threatened to overcome his faith as well. He “fought” by preaching to himself about God and his promised future. “Whom shall fear?”, “I will be confident”, “He will lift me high”, “I will sing”, etc. Despite the brokenness of our world, God still shows His goodness to us daily – we need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us see it, to help us sing of it. The final verse of the hymn This is my Father’s World is one that I regularly sing, to remind myself of this; may its lyrics encourage our hearts too. ​

“This is my Father’s world​

O let me ne’er forget​

That though the wrong seems oft so strong​

God is the Ruler yet”​

By Pastor Adrian Ow​

In the last pastoral message of 2023 (31 Dec), my writing was somewhat melancholic – echoing the tone of Psalm 90 and the worrying events of the world during that season. I thanked God for His Word and had thought of moving on from Psalm 90. However, over the next week or so, no fewer than 3 others shared their own reflections from Psalm 90! This prompted me to continue ruminating on Psalm 90 and not leave it on that moody note. From the melancholy (and perhaps tiredness) of 2023, God was gradually revealing a fresh “melody” for 2024.​

From Psalm 90:1, we can see that Moses’ security in God’s unchanging nature and hope in Him as an everlasting dwelling space was “rock solid” (pun intended) and that helped me form a principle to end off 2023: “In a tumultuous world, God’s unchanging nature & steadfast love is my source of satisfaction and security.” Grounded by the foundation of God’s unchanging nature and steadfast love, Moses was able to confidently and humbly cry out to God in verses 12-17 of Psalm 90.​

So, it is from this second half of Psalm 90 where God helped me craft a Prayer-Guide that will shape and sharpen my prayers for 2024. May this prayer-guide serve as a blessing and encouragement to you. ​

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1. Pray for a Heart of Wisdom ​

“So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Ps 90:12) ​

Set against an 11-verse backdrop which highlights humankind’s fragility and mortality, wisdom here is narrowed down to our need to discern and live lives for what is of eternal value instead of what is temporal.

2. Pray for Christ’s Return ​

“Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants!” (Ps 90:13)​

Moses’ 3-word cry of “Return, O Lord!” mirrors John the Apostle’s 4-word prayer towards the end of Revelation – “Amen. Come Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20). We need to learn to pray this, for it acts as a reminder of Man’s depravity and God’s saving grace.

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3. Pray that God’s Steadfast Love will be Our True Satisfaction​

“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” (Ps 90:14) ​

May we realise that God’s steadfast love is the only thing that can bring true, unending joy, and we can subsequently yearn for it.

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4. Pray for an Appreciation and Acceptance of both Joy and Suffering ​

“Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.” (Ps 90:15) This might be the hardest prayer yet but the one we might need the most. Both joy and suffering await the disciple of Christ and we are to understand that they are not mutually exclusive but two strands of a single fibre.

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5. Pray that the Next Generation will have a Personal Knowledge of God ​

“Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.” (Ps 90:16)​

May our children have their own personal faith and journey with Jesus Christ, and not because of their parent(s) or grandparent(s).

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6. Pray for God’s Favour over the Work of Our Hands ​

“Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” (Ps 90:17)​

Only God can make our work meaningful and lasting and only He can ensure that our labour is not in vain. ​

By Pastor Adrian Ow​