Give the King Your Judgments

Justice for the Poor

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Paul told believers to pray for kings “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life” (1 Timothy 2:2). Psalm 72 is a prayer for a king. It shows what to ask God for when we pray for leaders.

A prayer for the king (72:1). “Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.”

Your judgments. Judgments here means God’s way of deciding what is right. The writer asks God to give the king God’s own fairness.

The king’s son. The prayer includes the king’s son, who would lead next. Leaders need God’s help, and so do the leaders who come after them.

Fair to everyone (72:2). “He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice.” A good leader is fair to rich and poor alike.

Your poor. The writer calls the poor God’s poor. Poor people belong to God, and He cares what happens to them.

Peace (72:3). “The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness.” When a leader rules fairly, peace can spread across the whole land.

Help for the needy (72:4). “He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy.” Fair leaders protect people who cannot protect themselves.

Stopping bullies. The verse ends, “And will break in pieces the oppressor.” An oppressor is someone who uses power to hurt others. Good rulers stop people who hurt the weak.

Leaders at every level. This prayer fits any leader: a president, a mayor, a principal, a coach or a parent. Each one needs God’s wisdom to be fair.

How to pray. We can use this psalm when we pray for leaders. Ask God to give them His wisdom, to help them be fair and to help them care for the poor.

No perfect leader. Even the best kings of Israel sometimes failed. No leader today is perfectly fair either.

The perfect King. Only Jesus rules with perfect fairness. He never makes a wrong choice, and He loves the poor and the weak.

His rescue. We have all sinned. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. Everyone who trusts Him belongs to His kingdom.

You can help too. You do not need to be a king to be fair. You can include the kid who is left out and stand up for someone who is picked on.

What this means for you. Pray this psalm for a leader this week. Pray that God gives that leader His fairness and a heart for people in need.

Paul urges prayer for rulers “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life” (1 Timothy 2:2). Psalm 72 puts that kind of prayer into words.

The request (72:1). “Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.” The king’s fairness had to come from God.

The king’s Son. Asking for the son as well as the king is a prayer for the future of the nation.

Righteous judging (72:2). “He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice.” Righteousness and justice go together: right standards, applied fairly.

God’s poor. The psalm says “Your poor.” The poor are not a problem to be ignored; they belong to God.

Peace from the hills (72:3). “The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness.” Fair rule brings peace that reaches every corner of the land.

The needy (72:4). “He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy.” Needy is ’evyon (say: ev-YOHN), someone poor who longs for help and cannot get it alone.

The oppressor. “And will break in pieces the oppressor.” Real fairness does not only help victims; it stops those who use power to crush others.

One standard for all. The same justice applies to the powerful and the powerless. A ruler who bends the rules for the rich has failed this prayer.

Praying without taking sides. When we pray this psalm, we do not choose a side. We ask God to give every leader His judgments and His heart for the poor.

A pattern for prayer. Our prayers for leaders can ask for the same things: wisdom from God, fair decisions, protection for the weak and peace for the land.

Beyond any ruler. No king of Israel fully lived up to this prayer. Every human leader falls short somewhere. That is no reason to stop praying; it is the reason we keep praying.

The righteous King. Jesus alone rules with perfect righteousness, and He cares for the poor and needy.

The deeper need. We are not only hurt by unfairness; we have all sinned too. “Christ died for our sins” and “He rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Because He died on the cross in our place, everyone who trusts Him is forgiven.

Application. Choose one leader and pray through Psalm 72:1-4 for that person. Then look for one way to stand up for someone at school who is treated unfairly.

Like Rain on the Grass

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Paul told Timothy that prayers should be made for all who are in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Psalm 72 pictures what a good leader is like, and it says people should pray for their king all the time.

Like rain (72:6). “He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers that water the earth.”

Rain on the grass. Rain makes grass grow green and strong. A good leader is like gentle rain: people grow and do well under that kind of leader.

Showers. Showers soak the ground slowly and do not wash it away. Good leaders are gentle and steady, not harsh.

Not harsh. Some leaders push people around. Psalm 72 asks for a leader who is gentle and helps people grow.

Good people flourish (72:7). “In His days the righteous shall flourish.” Flourish means to grow and do well, like a healthy plant.

Peace that lasts. The writer prayed for peace “Until the moon is no more.” He wanted peace that would never end.

Peace for everyone. When a leader rules well, families can work, play and worship God in peace.

Pray for him always (72:15). “Prayer also will be made for Him continually, And daily He shall be praised.”

Continually. Continually means all the time, again and again. The people were to keep praying for their king, not just once.

Daily praise. The king would also be praised daily. People can thank God for good leaders every day.

Like Paul’s words. Paul gave Timothy the same instruction: keep praying for kings and all who are in authority.

Pray every day. You can pray for leaders at breakfast, on the way to school or at bedtime. Short prayers count.

Say thank You. When a teacher, coach or leader helps you, thank God for that person.

The life we need most. No human leader can give us new life inside. We have all sinned, but Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. When we trust Him, He makes us new.

A King who never fails. Leaders come and go, but Jesus is the King whose rule never fails.

What this means for you. Pick a time each day this week to pray for one leader. Ask God to make that leader like gentle rain for the people he or she leads.

Paul calls for prayer “for kings and all who are in authority” (1 Timothy 2:2). Psalm 72 pictures the blessing of good rule and calls for constant prayer for the king.

Rain on the grass (72:6). “He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers that water the earth.” Rain brought life to dry land. A good ruler refreshes his people instead of wearing them down.

Refreshing rule. Good leadership leaves people stronger than it found them; harsh rule drains them.

Gentle strength. Showers soak in rather than run off. Good leadership works steadily and gently, not by force.

The righteous flourish (72:7). “In His days the righteous shall flourish.” Under fair rule, people who do right can thrive instead of being pushed down.

Lasting peace. The writer prays for peace “Until the moon is no more.” He reaches for a peace no earthly king could keep forever. Even the best rulers grow old, and their kingdoms pass to others.

Continual prayer (72:15). “Prayer also will be made for Him continually, And daily He shall be praised.” Continually is tamid (say: tah-MEED), a word for something done again and again without stopping.

A daily habit. Praying for leaders is not a one-time event. Like the people in Psalm 72, believers keep at it.

A steady balance. Constant prayer for leaders keeps believers from two mistakes: treating rulers as if they were God, and treating them with contempt.

Praise as well as prayer. “Daily He shall be praised.” Thanking God for leaders who serve well is part of prayer.

From the psalm to Paul. Paul’s call to pray for kings “first of all” (1 Timothy 2:1) keeps the steady prayer of Psalm 72:15 going.

The King who never fails. Every human ruler eventually disappoints. Jesus is the King whose rule never goes wrong.

Life from Him. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). He died on the cross and rose again, and all who trust Him receive new life.

Application. Set a daily reminder this week. Each day, pray for one leader by name and thank God for one person who leads you well.

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