Mensa Otabil - God Who Remembers
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We are back to Psalm 20, and we are in verse three: «May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice.» Selah. Now, as I’ve said, Psalm 20 is written as an intercessory prayer. It is an intercessory prayer of the children of Israel for their leaders. However, as we look at it from this vantage point, it’s also an intercessory prayer for people. You know, many times you want to pray for someone-perhaps your husband, or you want to pray for your wife; or your wife, you want to pray for your husband; or you want to pray for your parents, or you want to pray for your pastor-and you wonder, «What should I pray for? What should I say to God?»
Now, this Psalm gives us a framework to use for intercessory prayer and tells us the kinds of things we should pray for as we intercede for others. I hope that it helps you as you pray for people; it provides the right guidelines, the outline, and the tools to pray. So, in verse number three, it talks about two things we should pray for. It says, «May the Lord remember all your offerings.» Why is this important? Because anytime you offer something to God, it is also to build a memorial before God. Throughout the Bible, you find that offerings become a memorial before God. It’s like erecting an altar before God.
We give offerings so that God will see what we are doing, recognize our actions, and look with favor upon us. Sometimes you give to the Lord or make sacrifices in life, and you wonder, «Does God even see it? Does the Lord remember what I do?» The Lord sees, remembers, and rewards. So this prayer is saying, «Lord, for all the good things this person has done, for all the great things they’ve accomplished, for all the service they have given to You- the days, weeks, months, and years they have served You- Lord, look favorably upon them. Remember their offerings.»
Of course, to benefit from this prayer, you should be giving to the Lord; you should be giving offerings. If you’re stingy, then this prayer doesn’t really benefit you. However, if you’re a generous person and you give to the Lord, then this prayer comes to bolster your giving: «May the Lord remember all of your offerings.»
Then it says, «May the Lord accept your burnt sacrifice.» In Israel, the burnt sacrifice was an animal that would be burned, and the thing about a burnt sacrifice is that after it is burned, it’s gone. There are no leftovers- just ashes. Sometimes you wonder, «Does God remember? Does God accept it? Is what I’m doing pleasing to the Lord?» So David says when you pray and intercede, pray that what they give to the Lord and what they sacrifice will be accepted before Him.
Every sacrifice is made with an expectation of a reward. If I sacrifice a meal because I want to lose weight, my reward is that I will lose weight. If a parent sacrifices so that their children can go to school, they expect their children to do well. So, all the sacrifices we make in life are rooted in our desires for our children to succeed, to attain certain physical benefits, or to enjoy health- we want something good to happen.
Every sacrifice carries the expectation of something positive. This prayer encapsulates that idea: «All your expectations for which you have made sacrifices-may the Lord favor you with them. May the Lord remember them, and may the Lord accept them.» I pray that prayer for you-for every sacrifice you’ve made with God in mind and for the service of God. May the Lord remember you, and may the Lord reward you.
Let’s pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, You are the God who never forgets. Let my offerings and sacrifices be pleasing to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.» Amen.