SCRIPTURE: Psalm 72
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Give your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king’s son. Help him judge your people in the right way; let the poor always be treated fairly. May the mountains yield prosperity for all, and may the hills be fruitful. Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors. [Psalms 72:1-4 ]
A prayer of Solomon, appointed as a leader over the nation of Israel.
Facing that daunting task, he desperately seeks God’s help and guidance and wisdom and blessing.
What did you pray for when the Lord appointed you as a leader of something?
What strikes me here is his heart for justice, especially for the poor and needy; and what alarms me is how in time he looses his way as a leader – despite God’s help.

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. [John 5:19-20]
We should not just pray at the beginning of a difficult task, we should continue to lean on Him through it as well.
Jesus describes more than a one time prayer here, He is in constant, abiding relationship to the Father.
In every circumstance, His mind is drawn to the Father – what He is doing, what He values, what His mission is.
While Solomon kept his mind on the Lord (as evidenced in this prayer), then he also saw the evidence of God’s blessing on his leadership.
But when he is distracted by wealth, by worldly acclaim, and by women, He no longer sees what the Father is doing.
A prayer at the beginning of a meeting is not enough; we need His help constantly, since we can do nothing without Him.
But with Him, wait and see the “greater works” that are possible…

Jesus would have prayed a prayer like this, but whereas Solomon could not follow through on it, Jesus did.
What is hinted at by Solomon for himself, is realized perfectly in Jesus.
All kings will bow before him, and all nations will serve him. He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him. [Psalms 72:11-14]
This is our perfect King, and we are precious to Him!

PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for showing me how to remain in ongoing relationship with the Father. Help me by Your Spirit to do the same – I will leave the outcomes to You!