A Prayer of Hopeful Trust – Psalm 20

1. Read: Psalm 20

2. About the Text:

1) This is a beautiful Psalm of hopeful trust.

2) “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7).

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. What is optimism?

1) It is the attitude of expecting good things to come from life.

2) It is the desire for good things for other people also.

2. There are seven statements of optimism in this Psalm.

1) May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble.

2) May the name of the God of Jacob defend you.

3) May He send you help from the sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Zion.

4) May he remember all your offerings and accept your burst sacrifice.

5) May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose.

6) May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.

7) May the King answer us when we call.

3. God hears the prayers of the righteous.

1) “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).

2) “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).

4. We will rejoice in His salvation.

1) “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

2) “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

1. This is a statement of faith in God.

2. Who is God’s anointed here?

1) This is the Hebrew word “Messiah;” “Christ” in Greek.

2) Jesus is God’s anointed today and God has saved Him.

3. We see how God answered Jesus from heaven.

4. We see how God saved Jesus with the strength of His right hand.

5. “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32).

6. “Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly” (Acts 10:40).

7. If God did it for Jesus, He will do it for us who have faith in Christ.

8. “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:4-5).

9. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

10. Hopeful trust has faith in God!

1. It takes courage to trust in God and not man.

1) Men will try to persuade you to do things their way.

2) “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).

3) We must do things God’s way and that takes courage.

2. We will remember the name of the LORD our God.

1) “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth” (Phil.2:9-10).

2) Don’t be ashamed of the name!

3) “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

4) “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).

3. Others may fall, but we will be courageous.

1) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

2) The King is Jesus!

1. When we have hopeful trust in God, we will have . . .

1) Optimism

2) Faith

3) Courage

2. Invitation