Psalm 79:9 – Verse of the Day 9/25/13

Psalm 79 is a song of lament.  The psalmist cries out to God on behalf of the people of Israel as they together mourn the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (verse 1).  The psalm offers a wonderful balance of heartfelt prayers for deliverance (verse 9) accompanied by a genuine desire for God’s glory (not only this verse, but the conclusion in verse 13 as well).  God is glorified in his work of forgiveness.

Although we are often tempted to pray only for our own benefit, God calls us to pray also for His glory.  Fortunately, these two things are not mutually exclusive (as indicated by the Lord’s Prayer:  “hallowed by thy name” is closely followed by “forgive us our debts” and “give us this day our daily bread”).  As you pray, allow this verse to inspire you to seek God’s glory in the requests that you make.