In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness. Let your right hand teach you awesome deeds.
– Psalm 45:4
This is a really interesting Psalm because it’s addressed, for the most part, to the king.
Psalm 45:4 Is Originally a Prayer for the King of Israel
In Psalm 45:1 it says, “My heart overflows with a pleasing theme. I address my verses to the king.” And it’s really a prayer for the King of Israel, which makes sense in verse four “In your majesty, ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness. Let your hand teach you awesome deeds.” What a prayer for the leader among God’s people at that time, the nation of Israel. And there’s a lot we could talk about here and a variety of different directions we could go in our praying, but I want to take this verse and lead us to pray specifically over leaders in the world today.
Isn’t this a good thing to pray for? Obviously, God commands us to pray for world leaders in the New Testament. Why not pray Psalm 45:4 “for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness” to spread through world leaders? Let their right hands teach them awesome deeds. Ah, let’s pray that for all kinds of leaders in the world. The unreached people group we’re praying for today is the Hadi people of Nepal. No known followers of Jesus in this Hindu people group.
So as we pray for the Hadi people of Nepal, let’s also pray for the President of Nepal, Ram Chandra Poudel, who actually just became president March 13, 2023. And for the Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, so for us to pray for them, to pray for presidents and leaders in a variety of different positions all around the world. God, we want to faithfully obey your command to us in 1 Timothy, to pray for all those who are in high positions. So we follow that command right now in light of your word in Psalm 45 and this spirit-inspired prayer for the king at that time.
Psalm 45:4 Encourages Us to Pray for Our Political Leaders
God, we pray for leaders in the world who lead for the cause of truth and meekness, and righteousness. Lord, we pray that over the president in my country right now, President Biden and Vice President Harris and leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives and judges, justices on the Supreme Court. God, we pray that they would lead for the cause of truth. Lord, we pray that they would lead with meekness. We pray for humble leaders, for meek leaders before you.
God, we pray for their hearts and minds to be humble and meek before you and others. God, we ask for that. And righteousness, God, help them to be righteous, to do that which is right, to resist sin and evil and injustice. God, help them to lead for justice. God, we pray that over them. Please help them to lead for truth and meekness, and righteousness. God, we pray for conviction in their hearts and transformation of their minds.
We pray for the gospel to be made known among leaders in our nation and other nations, God, that you might transform them by the power of Jesus in them. God, we pray for that. And God, if they refuse to follow Jesus, we still pray God for your common grace on and through them, that they might lead in these ways for truth and meekness and righteousness.
We pray that for leaders of all kinds of different countries all over the world. God, please raise up leaders like this. And we pray specifically for the President and Prime Minister of Nepal. Lord, we pray for Ram Chandra Poudel and Pushpa Kamal Dahal. God, please grant these leaders in Nepal wisdom, grace, to lead for truth, and meekness, and righteousness in a way that allows for the spread of the gospel in Nepal, specifically among the Hadi people.
Praying for the Hadi People
God, we pray that the Hadi people will be reached by the gospel. We pray for leaders who would provide covering for religious freedom and exchange of ideas, including the greatest truth in the world, your love for us in Jesus. God, help us to be faithful, to pray for leaders in our world in accord with your word. In Jesus’ name. 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.
