Psalms 144:1-15 (NLT)
1 A psalm of David. Praise the LORD, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle.
2 He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him. He makes the nations submit to me.
3 O LORD, what are human beings that you should notice them, mere mortals that you should think about them?
4 For they are like a breath of air; their days are like a passing shadow.
5 Open the heavens, LORD, and come down. Touch the mountains so they billow smoke.
6 Hurl your lightning bolts and scatter your enemies! Shoot your arrows and confuse them!
7 Reach down from heaven and rescue me; rescue me from deep waters, from the power of my enemies.
8 Their mouths are full of lies; they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.
9 I will sing a new song to you, O God! I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp.
10 For you grant victory to kings! You rescued your servant David from the fatal sword.
11 Save me! Rescue me from the power of my enemies. Their mouths are full of lies; they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.
12 May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace.
13 May our barns be filled with crops of every kind. May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands, even tens of thousands,
14 and may our oxen be loaded down with produce. May there be no enemy breaking through our walls, no going into captivity, no cries of alarm in our town squares.
15 Yes, joyful are those who live like this! Joyful indeed are those whose God is the LORD.
There is a need to magnify God alone, to declare His power, His might, His creativity quite apart from us. But when He is your God, when who He is has been amazing in your life, everything He’s done for you and recognition of all that He will do is magnificent praise of Him. Even the lifting up of prayers concerning enemies reflects a confidence in His faithfulness, that He will deliver from the oppressive foes that threaten.
In this praise, David used multiple references to himself – my, my, my, my, my. But, with every personalization of this incredible relationship is magnifying of the attribute of God that is most pertnent to those who claim Him as theirs – His demonstrated love and mercy.
When the enemies have mounted an advance, and things seem to be pressing in, it is time to start declaring things about “my God”. Though His greatness changes, it’s to His own that it is known and the claiming of Him as “mine” turns potential into experienced reality. Proclaiming what my God has done, is doing, and will do activates His faithfulness to turn sorrow into the joy of victory and triumph.