452_Whose battles are we fighting? Psalm 20 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! 3 May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah 4 May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! 5 May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions! 6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. 9 O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when we call. A young soldier was deployed in a war zone. On the eve of a major battle, he sought a quiet corner to read his Bible and pray, while others around him were joking in an effort to keep up their courage, or looking over their gear. When asked why he wasn’t anxious like the others, he replied, “My battle was fought last night. I settled with God that I’m not fighting for myself—I’m fighting where He leads.” He survived the battle. Later, he spoke of the peace he experienced during that battle. It came from his trust in the Lord whom he served. Psalm 20 reflects this calm assurance. This prayerful song may have been sung by the people of Israel before they set out for war. The focus is not on fighting harder, or training better. Rather, it opens with a cry for divine intervention: “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!” (v.1). Rather than being about the strategies and weapons of successful battles, the psalm reveals the unseen wars of the heart, where priorities are set and where trust is exercised. The writer knows what are the battles that we really fight. The people’s voice makes it clear: “We will shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners!” They are united in fighting behind the banner of the king whom God has appointed over them. Yet their hope is not in his strategies or military strength. Rather, they rally in the name of God, who will answer, help, and uphold the king. They recognize that unless the Lord fights for them, no victory is certain. The psalm speaks of burnt offerings to God, a sacrifice completely consumed on the altar. This symbolizes total devotion, a heart dear to God. Not ritual without relationship, not religious activity without heart. True worship isn’t about merely words of worship, but aligning our actions, desires, and plans with God’s will. And thus verse 4 is a prayer: “May he grant you your heart’s