Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day.
– Psalm 74:22
This verse summarizes so much of this chapter. This is a Psalm praying for God to rise up and show his glory among people who are desecrating his glory. Earlier in the Psalm, they set your sanctuary on fire. They profane the dwelling place of your name, bringing it down to the ground. And the psalmist is saying, “God, rise up and show your glory among all the peoples of the earth that they might not scoff at you anymore. Arise, O God, defend your cause.”
Psalm 74:22 reminds us that God’s ultimate cause is where all of history is headed.
What’s the cause of God? Well, the cause of God is to show his glory among all the nations. We see that from cover to cover in scripture. The cause of God is clear in where all of history is headed, toward Revelation 7, 9, and 10, a multitude that no one can count. From every nation, tribe, people, and language bowing down and worshiping God for his salvation, for his grace that he shows to sinners. This is the cause of God.
So I ask you, one, is this the cause of your life? Because if this is the cause of God and the Spirit of God is in you, then the cause of your life would naturally be the cause of God. Your cause that you’re living for is the glory of God being made known among all the nations of the world. That’s your overriding cause. As a follower of Jesus in whom the Spirit of God dwells, we live for the cause of God. It dictates everything we do.
Is that true? Does the cause of God, the spread of God’s glory among all the nations, does that drive the way you think about your life, your family, your friendships, your work, your money, your use of time, your approach to everything in life? Lord, how can I best glorify you among all the nations? With the grace you’ve given to me, with the skills you’ve given to me, with the relationship you’ve entrusted to me. This is the cause of God.
Psalm 74:22 teaches us to pray for God’s will to be done on earth.
And the psalmist is saying, “Arise, O God, and make your cause known.” And when you think about it, this is exactly how Jesus taught us to pray. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Rise up, O God, and cause your name to be made known as holy and glorious and gracious and great among all the peoples. Your kingdom come, your will be done all over the earth as it is in heaven.
And so we pray, just like Jesus taught us to pray, and as Psalm 74:22 leads us to pray. O God, our Father in heaven, rise up, we pray, and make your name known as glorious and great among all the nations. We pray for that. For the hallowing of your name. In our lives, Lord, make your glory known through our lives today. Help us to be holy as you are holy. Help us to live for your glory today. In our works, in a Matthew 5 kind of way to live with good deeds all day today in ways that point to your glory in heaven.
And in our words, help us to speak about your glory and who you are and how much you love the people around us, what you’ve done for their salvation, how you’ve glorified yourself in sending Jesus to die for people around us, and to build up a church that reflects your glory. God, use our lives to lead people to Jesus and to build up your church today. In whatever places we go and whoever we’re around.
Prayer for the Unreached
And God, we pray for the spread of your glory. Not just where we live through us, but all around the world. And any way you want to use our lives. As we pray right now, God, we pray for all these unreached people groups. We pray for every day, thousands of them.
God we pray, hallowed be your name among all of them. And we pray that you’d use our lives and the resources you’ve entrusted to us for your cause, to make your glory known among all the nations. And we pray that it would happen. O God, cause the name of Jesus to be known and enjoyed and praised. Accomplish your cause, your commission among all the nations, we pray. You are worthy of all their glory. We pray that you’d help us to live today with your cause as our cause. Arise, O God, accomplish your cause through us, we pray. In Jesus’ name according to Psalm 74:22. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
