Psalm 18-Supplication through the Scriptures, pt.1

Psalm 18

Praying for Your Spouse, part 1

Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things, above all that we ask or think. Each time, before you intercede, be quiet first, and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do, and how He delights to hear the prayers of His redeemed people. Think of your place and privilege in Christ and expect great things! 

Andrew Murray 

Let’s pray for our spouses and our marriages today and expect great things from our great God.

The Lord is All We Need

18:1-3 I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. 

Let’s pray:

▫️Our spouses would love the Lord heartily. 

▫️They would be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. They would come to Him as their source of strength in their time of need. 

▫️They would courageously follow the Lord leaning in dependence on Him. What situation does your spouse need the Lord’s strength? Parenting? Work? A difficult relationship? 

▫️In their time of trouble, they would flee to the Lord as their rock, fortress, and deliverer. What area does your spouse need the Lord’s protection or deliverance?

▫️The Lord would shield and protect not only our spouses but our marriages. 

▫️The Lord would strengthen our marriages, our communication, our love, our unity, and our joy in one another.

▫️Our spouses would call upon the Lord and make it a habit of coming continually to the Lord in prayer.

He Responds in Our Distress

18:4-7 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. 

Let’s pray: 

▫️If our spouses face health issues, minor or significant, the Lord would be near to them and though their outer man is fading away, their inner man would be renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16).

▫️Our spouses would not be afraid or overwhelmed, even in circumstances which seem beyond their control.

▫️When they feel encompassed, assailed, entangled, and confronted, the Lord would be their stay and their firm foundation.

▫️The Lord would keep them from evil, sin, and temptation, and sin would have no hold over them to entangle or assault them.

▫️In their distress they would call on the Lord. What is most distressing your spouse? Anxiety? Mental illness? Finances? A besetting sin? Fear of failure? Loneliness?

▫️When they cry out to the Lord, He would hear their cries for help and come to their aid.

The Evidence of His Might

18:8-15 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. 

Let’s pray:

▫️The Lord’s strong power would be working on behalf of our spouses and our marriages, and we would see the evidence of His mighty work.

▫️The Lord would come down and meet us in our marriages and He would be with us unifying us.

▫️As even the heavens bow at the Lord’s command, so we and our spouses would bow our hearts, lives, and wills to our God and Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

▫️Our desires and our spouse’s desires for our marriage and the direction of our family would be under the Lord’s designs. What disagreement are you and your spouse having? 

▫️The Lord would come swiftly to help us in our marriage needs: finances, communication, unity, love, selflessness, etc.

▫️We and our spouses would place ourselves under the faithful teaching and preaching of God’s Word, and it would transform and renew our minds in Christlikeness.

▫️The Lord would rebuke any work of the enemy to cause division, distrust, or disharmony in our marriages. There would be no weapon formed against us that would stand.

The Lord, Our Support

18:16-19 He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. 

Let’s pray:

▫️The Lord would send from on high and providentially provide the needs of our spouses and our marriage.

▫️The Lord would draw us to Himself and to one another.

▫️He would rescue our spouses from the overwhelming situation they find themselves, and His grace would be sufficient, and His power made perfect in their weakness.

▫️The Lord would deliver them from anyone who seeks them harm. Is there a coworker, or someone else, that is seeking to harm your spouse’s reputation, work, spiritual life?

▫️The Lord would be the support of our spouses and our marriages. He would keep us firmly grounded in Him and His Word so that we can be a model of Christ’s marriage to His bride.

▫️We and our spouses would delight in one another, encourage one another, and hold fast to one another.

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When almost captured the Lord’s people are rescued from the hand of the mighty by Him who is mightier still.

C.H.Spurgeon 

Psalm 18:1-19 quoted from the ESV.

Photo credit to 3031n