This week, the blog articles will feature David’s prayer that recalls His relationship with God as He remembers the touchstones of his life experiences. Below is the beginning of David’s prayer.
As we study David’s life, we can see each declaration of God’s activity for David has a story behind it. As we consider our story, let’s use the keywords of David’s prayer to express our thanksgiving to God for His work on our behalf.
What I suggest is that you take each word that is mentioned and use it in your own prayer to express your thanks and praise to God. I have expanded the meaning and application of keywords in bullet points below to help your meditation.
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold and my refuge,
my savior; you save me from violence.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
For the waves of death encompassed me;
the torrents of perdition assailed me;
the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry came to his ears. (2 Samuel 22:2-7)
My Rock
- A rock is immovable, unchanging, and enduring.
- God’s character, promises, and faithfulness don’t shift with circumstances.
- Our relationship with God is a safe place to hide during trouble.
- God is a solid base upon which to build life.
My Fortress
- God surrounds believers with His protective presence.
- God gives believers spiritual perspective and victory over circumstances.
- When under spiritual attack, God is the place to retreat.
- God’s power protects against spiritual enemies (sin, Satan, the world’s system, temptation, fear).
- As our fortress, God is not just temporary shelter, but a place to abide.
My Deliverer
- God enters our situations to effect actual rescue.
- God takes initiative in our deliverance. We don’t deliver ourselves.
- Deliverance means being freed from captivity or slavery, such as freedom from sin, Satan, fear, anxiety, addictions, and destructive power.
- God saves from threats we cannot escape alone.
- God’s deliverance is not just the removal of problems, but relocation to safety.
My Shield
- The shield signifies God’s role as defender who protects from harm and danger.
- The shield image extends to God securing deliverance, guidance, and daily provision.
- The shield conveys confidence when facing foes, misfortune, or spiritual opposition.
- Seeing God as shield communicates a relational identity: protected, valued, and securely cared for as God’s own.
My Savior
- God is the one who initiates, accomplishes, and offers salvation. It is not earned by human effort but graciously given by our loving Father.
- When I call God, “my Savior,” I recognize that I am intimately related to Him. He is my Lord and Savior, and I am His faithful follower and servant.
- A God who saves becomes a model and the One who helps us to share mercy, justice, and the good news of salvation with others.
I hope you will join me and make David’s prayer personal. Like the Amplified Bible, you can use the ideas contained in the bullet points to expand your prayer to include the significance of each word. Please try it out and see what sort of difference it makes in your worship of the Lord.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, Bruce’s son-in-law Alex, and I discuss this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 