A Prayer for Restoration: Psalm 85-Supplication through the Scriptures

August 17, 2022

A Prayer for Restoration

Psalm 85

When the storm-cloud darkens,

Then’s the time to sing.

Eben Rexford

The previous Post talked about truths we can hold onto during the season of waiting on the Lord. I looked at Habakkuk’s prayer song in Habakkuk 3 written for the people to sing to sustain them while they waited for the day of deliverance. God had been favorable to Israel in the past, and based on His covenant love, they knew He would revive them again. But there would be years of waiting. Psalm 85 has a similar theme. The psalmist remembers God’s past faithfulness, and he calls on Him to rescue them again according to His steadfast love.

This is the story for every believer. We can look back at God’s redemption of us at the cross of Christ, and we can rejoice that our sins are covered, God’s wrath removed, just like those of Psalm 85. Yet each of us lives in a world still affected and broken by the curse. We each have areas in our lives where we need the Lord to act in His redemptive and restorative power. The psalmist gives us the words to cry to the Lord that lean on His redemption already accomplished in our salvation and cries for His steadfast love to act for continued restoration and revival in those areas where we still suffer because we live in a broken world.

Let’s pray for those who are in distressing days that God would show Himself favorable to them and rescue them in their time of trouble and bring restoration.

His Past Faithfulness

85:1-3 Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.

Let’s pray:

▫️We would rejoice that God has drawn us near to Himself. He has shown His favor toward us in that He sent Christ to die for us.

▫️We would praise Him because our sins have been forgiven by the precious blood of Christ, and because we are in Christ, we can draw near to God with confidence (Hebrews 10:19).

▫️We can rejoice and approach the throne of grace boldly, not on our own merit, but because God sent His own Son in the flesh and condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement would be fulfilled in us (Romans 8:3-4).

▫️Because we have been made right with God, we have His ear. We have the privilege and right as sons to plead with our Father for the areas in our lives where we need Him to work powerfully.

▫️Based on His past faithfulness to us, in salvation and many other ways, we would know for certain that He will be faithful again.

Restore us, O God

85:4-7 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.

Let’s pray:

▫️The Lord would restore and repair the areas, situations, and relationships in our lives that are broken, that seem beyond repair.

▫️The Lord would bring an end to this prolonged time of suffering. He would remove His heavy hand and would revive our hearts again.

▫️He would revive His work in our distressing situation that we would rejoice in Him. But even if He prolongs this time, we would still exult in Him and rejoice in the God of our salvation (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

▫️The Lord would demonstrate His steadfast love toward us and bring salvation and deliverance from our distress. We would be able to join David in saying, “The Lord has redeemed my life from all distress” (1 Kings 1:29).

▫️God would restore, redeem, build up, repair, heal, and make flourish what is falling apart in our lives.

He will speak peace to His people

85:8-9 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.

Let’s pray:

▫️Our hearts would be attuned to hear His words of peace.

▫️The Lord would speak peace to us and to the circumstances in our lives that need His restoration power.

▫️The Lord of peace Himself would continually grant us peace in every circumstance, and He would be with us (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

▫️When we feel anxious that the reviving, restorative work will not be done, we would come quickly to the Lord in prayer and His peace would guard our hearts and our minds concerning our desires about our situation (Philippians 4:6-7).

▫️Surely His salvation would be near to us who fear Him.

He will give what is good

85:10-13 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way.

Let’s pray:

▫️The Lord’s steadfast love and faithfulness would meet in our discouraging circumstances. We would see how He is working according to His love and how He is proving Himself faithful once again.

▫️Righteousness and peace would be evident in our lives as we walk through these situations. We would honor the Lord by living according to His Word, and His peace at work in us would make us radiant in our countenance and joyful in our hearts.

▫️With a confident heart we would say, “The Lord will give what is good!”

▫️We would hold on to Christ no matter how painful the good ends up being.

▫️He would go before us making a way and causing our circumstances to yield a harvest of righteousness in us.

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

Photo credit to khyta

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