Psalm 20 & 24

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Happy New Year! I pray 2024 will be a year of joy and blessing as we open the gates of our hearts and let the King of Glory have full reign in our lives! There will be trouble in the earthly realm, but with the Lord as King of our lives we can live in victory and be His light in a dark world! Psalm 20 & 24 are powerful scriptures for 2024 and beyond! I hope they will bless and strengthen you!

Psalm 20

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. (verses 1-5 NIV)

Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright. Save, Lord! May the King answer us when we call. (verses 6-9 NKJV)

A Psalm of Blessing, Declaration & Prayer

The first part of Psalm 20 is a beautiful blessing and declaration of victory for 2024! The Lord is our help in times of trouble and He will see us through this year. Anyone who trusts in God’s forgiveness through Jesus is a child of God and a recipient of God’s gifts of grace– His blessings. We can walk in step with the Holy Spirit, live in victory and glorify God with our lives!

Living by the Spirit

The second part of Psalm 20 reminds us that we are seated with God in the heavenly realm. We don’t have to fail or fall. God has given us His Spirit to guide and empower us for victory! Our journey with God may not be perfect on our part, but God is patient as we grow in faith and follow His lead! Thank You, Jesus!

Psalm 24

The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are his. He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth and laid its foundations in the ocean depths. (verses 1-2 GNT)

Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob. Interlude (verses 3-6 NLT)

Lift up your heads, you gates, and be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates, and lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is this King of glory? The Lord of armies, He is the King of glory. Selah (verses 7-10 NASB)

Loving Creator

Psalm 24 is a psalm of glory! It reminds us that God created this beautiful world! Everything He did was for us!

Who Can Stand in God’s Presence?

We failed Him and rebelled. Who came to the rescue? God! Jesus, God’s Son, came and died in our place. Through Him we are cleansed from our sin. Those who remain in right relationship with Jesus can commune with God freely by His Spirit. They may “climb the mountain of the Lord.”

Yielding to the King of Glory

Our hearts can become more like Jesus and able to worship God truthfully in the Spirit. This process of refinement is sometimes called “sanctification”, where we become more and more “set apart” from worldly mindsets/behavior and we live from the Spirit. There is no fear or condemnation in this process. Sanctification is not optional for His children. It is part of being in Christ. It is a refinement process and the reward is that we get to see the King of Glory!

Psalm 20 & 24 show us His plan is to engage with us in prayer and His Word so He can set us free from “spiritual gates” that have kept us from victory in Christ. As we open all the gates of our hearts to Him, King Jesus can have His way in us! If Jesus truly is King of our lives, we will want to yield to His Spirit until the day we die and go to be with Him forever. So we pray for soft hearts filled with God’s wonderful, powerful presence– His glory!

A Prayer to the King of Glory

Lord, we give You everything! Show us any iron gates in our hearts, thoughts and actions that we have not surrendered to You. It is our desire to adore You, obey You and worship You with all our hearts. We open every door and give You full reign over our lives! Come in, King of Glory! Command Your angel armies and slay the enemy of our souls. Deliver us from evil! Fill every dark place with the light of Your presence until we are saturated with You. Then we will shine with Your love by the power of Your Spirit and You will receive all the glory!

The lost need You, Jesus! Thank You for Your undeserved grace through the cross that covers our sin and weaknesses! Come to us in Your ever-increasing glory as we long to see Your face in 2024. Oh, King of Glory, You deserve what you suffered for on the cross! You deserve our whole hearts. May we bless others as You have blessed us!

We give 2024 to You and rejoice in the salvation You have freely given to us! Thank You, Jesus, for lifting us up to the Father and to our new Family in Christ. We sit together at Your Table in the heavenly realms and glory in Your presence. Our attention is upon You, Jesus! As the world desires earthly pleasures, power and treasures, King of Glory, we just want You! We pray this in Your powerful name, Jesus, amen!

Enjoy a Very Blessed 2024!

I use several different translations in order to comply with Bible translation copyrights, permissions, regulations etc.