Beginning from today till the next three days, we shall serially look at Psalm 80:1-19
PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS, REVIVAL AND RESTORATION
Psalm 80 is one of my favourite psalms. The core of the theme is Revival, and Restoration after experiencing destruction. It was said to have been written after the northern kingdom of Israel was defeated, and its people taken captive to Assyria. When God’s people were suffering from the hands of the enemies, God is the only hope for lasting Salvation. The authorship of the Psalm is ascribed to either Asaph, or one of his descendants. The Psalm is the continuation of the lament of the community of faith which started in Psalm 79. But in this Psalm, the lament is accompanied with an ardent prayer for Revival and Restoration (vv. 3, 7, 14, 19).
Series 1
Today’s Reading:
Psalm 80:1-3
“Give ear, O shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.” (vv. 1-3)
The many ways in which God is referred to in this Psalm express the attributes of the awesome God of wonders we worship -
He is the ‘Shepherd of Israel’ (v.1);
He is the invisible God that dwells between the cherubim [mighty angels] (v.1; Ex. 25:10-22; Ps. 99:1);
He is O God! (v.3);
He is O Lord God of hosts (v.4).
As in Psalm 23, the author of the Psalm presents Yahweh as the Shepherd of His people. ‘O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock.’ (v. 1). Joseph here refers to the people of the northern kingdom of Israel, who were the descendants of Joseph. It is common in the ancient Near East to refer to their king as a ‘shepherd’. This was a time of crises when God’s people were suffering from the hands of their enemies. God as the Shepherd of the people was called upon to care for and restore his people who were dependent on Him. The repeated calls on God for restoration (vv. 3, 7, 19), are closely related to the blessings with which Aaron and his sons were instructed to bless the people of Israel (Num. 6:24-26). Israel’s hope of deliverance had always been placed on the presence of God who tenderly shepherds them as His flock.
God as a Shepherd in the Bible indicates His personal care for the individual, family, society, the body of Christ, the nation, and the world portrays His love and His tender loving care for all His creation. It shows God’s relationship with his created world (Ps. 23:2); His protection from danger in all seasons of our lives (1Sam. 17:34-35; Jn. 10:1). Psalm 79:13 refers to God’s people as the sheep of His pasture. The covenant Lord is the true Shepherd of his people. In the NT Jesus declared Himself as the good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep (Jn. 10:11). He is known by His sheep Jn. 10:14). He is coming back to be Shepherd of God’s united fold, who are the redeemed of the Lord (Jn. 10:16; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4). Like the Master Jesus, the leaders of the church were expected to do the work of the shepherd – to love, to feed the flock of Jesus, and to protect the flock (Acts 20:28-31; 1 Pet 5:1-4).
Today in our nation, our prayer, our plea too is that the Lord God, the Shepherd of his people; God who dwells in the midst of the cherubim should stir up His might, rend the heavens open, and come down to help the nation. The Lord of host has His seat above the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant (Ex. 25:20-22; 1Kgs 8:27; Ps. 2:4; Isa 66:1; Rev. 4:2). O Lord God, You have done it before with the Israelites, you will do it in our nation, Nigeria, Turn us again, O God and cause Your face to shine on us with your favour and approval; and we shall be saved, in Jesus’ name.
OLUFUNMILAYO TITILOLA ADEKUSIBE
Prayer:
O Lord God, forgive my sin, forgive the sins of members of my family and forgive the sins of our forefathers, especially sins of idolatry that has connected us with dark powers, in Jesus’ name.
Restore unto us the joy of your salvation, and uphold us with your free spirit, in Jesus’ name.
Father, as the body of Christ, forgive our sins of disobedience to your command, sin of idolatry and every sin causing disunity in the body of Christ, which is making us to be powerless, in Jesus’ name.
We take authority over the power of darkness in all its ramifications, in Jesus’ name.
We bind and cast out every spirit causing seduction, false doctrine, deception, hypocrisy, pride and error, in Jesus’ name.
As a nation O Lord, we plead for mercy and forgiveness in Jesus’ name.
Remember our land and redeem it, in Jesus’ name.
Lord, You are the portion of our inheritance, and of our cup; You support our lot. The lines, boundary of our land is fallen for us in pleasant places; Really, we have a goodly, beautiful heritage.
O Lord, save our land from destruction and judgement, in Jesu’s name.
Father, let your healing power begin to operate upon our land, in Jesus’ name.
We render impotent all forces of darkness hindering the move of Your power in our nation, in Jesus’ name.
Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, and cause your face to shine, and we shall be saved, in Jesus’ name.
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