Psalm 96, An Introduction
I want to do something a little different today. I actually want to read this whole Psalm. We pray on this podcast every day for unreached people groups around the world, people who don’t know the good news of God’s love and Jesus. They’ve never even heard about the good news of God’s love and Jesus. And at this point, if nothing changes, they’ll die without ever even hearing about the good news of God’s love and Jesus. This is why we pray for them. In Psalm 96 is God saying, “Make my glory known among all of them,” what we are praying each day on this podcast is directly in line with the heart of God all over his Word, from cover to cover in Scripture with God’s plan for all of history, for all the peoples of the world to be gathered around his throne.
That’s where the whole Bible ends. This is the whole reason why we live, to make God’s glory known among all the nations. Starting, yes, in our neighborhoods, but never stopping there. And so I just want us to hear it. Spirit-inspired, God’s Word in Psalm 96 speaking to us and let that lead us to pray. This is God speaking to us today.
Psalm 96
1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! 4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! 8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! 9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! 10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.” 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 12 let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy 13 before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.
Psalm 96, A Prayer
Oh God, in light of your word in Psalm 96, about your glory spreading among all the peoples, among all the nations and all the earth.
We pray for this. Jesus, just as you taught us to pray for this. Hallowed be your name, oh God, in all the earth. We pray for the spread of your splendor and majesty and glory and works among all the nations, among all the peoples. God, we pray, may it be so. May every people group, tribe, language, and nation be reached with the glory of your name. Jesus, as Savior and Lord and king, all the other gods of the peoples are worthless idols. You alone are worthy of their worship.
So hear our prayers now, oh God, for the nations and day after day after day, for all the nations to know you, to experience your grace and exalt your glory, God, please may it be so. And please use our lives toward that end, our resources toward that end. Today, God help us to declare your glory right around us, to the nations right around us, even to people who you’ve brought from other nations to our neighborhoods.
God, we pray for the spread of the gospel among all the nations. We pray for our brothers and sisters who are working in unreached places. God bless them for the spread of your glory among the nations. Help us to come alongside them in every way you called us, call us to. Oh God, we pray, spend our lives however you desire to bring about Psalm 96. Your glory known and declared among all the peoples. May it be so, we pray. As we say that Word, amen, in a moment we say yes, God, may it be so in Jesus’ name, may Psalm 96 be a reality. 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.
