The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
– Psalm 145:14
Wow, what a great verse. Let’s just meditate on that. The Lord, the sovereign God over all who rules and reigns over everything, the Lord upholds all who are falling.
Psalm 145:14 Reminds Us God Guards our Faith
Just think of all the different ways we could find ourselves falling; falling into temptation, falling in the middle of trial, just feeling like you are being weighed down, being brought down by circumstances around you, feeling like you can’t go on anymore. The Lord upholds you when you are falling. He is your upholder. What a picture. And he raises up all who are bowed down. So if you want to be raised up, what would you do? You would bow down.
And I would just encourage you, even as you hear that language, are you physically, to the extent which you’re able, bowing down before God and getting low before God? This is the one whom God raises up, the one who is bowed down. And if you are physically able to bow down, and that is not a posture that you often take before God, I would encourage you to change that. Spend time physically. And yes, spiritually bow down before God. In Psalm 145, it says, “He raises you up”. And in all the different ways where we might be falling in this world or prone to fall in this world. Look to God. Trust in God. Hope in God as the one who upholds you.
Psalm 145:14 Encourages to Face Trials and Adversity with Hope
Oh God, I pray for all kinds of people who are falling right now in different ways, who find themselves falling into temptation and sin. God, uphold them. Keep them from sin. I pray, just as you promise to guard and guide and help them whenever they face temptation. God, even as I pray that over my own life, God, uphold us in a holiness. Lord, I pray for those who are struggling with trials, with tribulation, who are falling down into despair, feel so weak, who feel worried, confused.
God, uphold them with your peace. Uphold them with your strength. God, uphold them with your hope. Uphold them with your promises. Uphold them with your presence with them. God, grant them, give them everything they need to hold up as they’re falling. And God, we pray you make us a people who are bowed down before you, continually bowing down before you, confessing our need for you, and you, and your kindness, and your goodness, and your power and your love raising us up, lifting our heads, our hearts, our souls, our bodies. God, raise us up as we bow down before you.
Praying for the Bonan People
We praise you for this promise in Psalm 145:14 that you uphold all those who are falling. You raise up all who are bowed down. And God, we pray for the Bonan people of Mongolian descent, Tibetan Buddhists and Muslims in this small people group, no known followers of Jesus. God, we pray that they would hear the good news of the Lord who upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down ultimately in Jesus, saves us from our sin and raises us up to eternal life with him.
We pray that over the Bonan people of Mongolian descent. God, cause we pray the Gospel is spread to them. Give them soft hearts, we pray to hear and believe and be saved, to be upheld by you, Jesus, to be raised up by you. Jesus, we pray for the spread of your grace, your glory in Psalm 145, 14 kind of ways to the Bonan people. In Jesus name, we pray all of this. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
