Contend for Me
Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me…Awake and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.
Psalm 35:1, 23
On September 7, 1774, the Constitutional Congress of what would eventually become the United States of America held its first official meeting in Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia. It was a historic occasion.
The first official act? Prayer.
And it wasn’t some perfunctory action that was simply a matter of protocol. It was more like a good old-fashioned prayer meeting. Our founding fathers sought God with intensity and fervency.
Ear witnesses could hear them from across the street. Eyewitnesses said that founding fathers such as Patrick Henry, Peyton Randolph, Edward Rutledge, Richard Henry Lee, and John Jay were doubled over, bowing in reverence. And, not surprisingly, George Washington was on his knees.
These men weren’t just paying homage to the religious spirit of the times. They recognized the long odds they were facing, and they realized that their cause was doomed to fail without divine intervention. They prayed like it depended on God because they knew that it did.
The pastor who led them in prayer that morning was Dr. Jacob Duche. The Scripture to which he turned? Psalm 35 – which we’re told was penned by David.
David’s Plea
Scholars aren’t sure of the occasion that triggered the psalm, but some suggest it was during the time when David faced his own long odds while being pursued by the jealous King Saul.
“Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me…Awake and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.”
The founding fathers prayed that just as God had contended for David, so he would contend for their dream of independence.
Let God Fight For You
Interesting, that word “contend.” In the Hebrew, it can refer to both physical combat and verbal combat. As such, it runs the gamut from the battlefield to the courtroom.
In terms of physical combat, God is like a champion fighter who comes to our rescue and delivers us from a powerful adversary. In terms of verbal combat, God is like the skilled defense attorney who pleads our case and defends our cause.
God loves it when we fight for Him. But God loves it even more when we let Him fight for us! How do we do that? The same way the founding fathers did. When we hit our knees in prayer.
God loves it when we fight for Him. But God loves it even more when we let Him fight for us!
When we ask for Him to contend for us, we bring His power, His provision, and His perspective to even the most challenging of situations.
Where is your back against the wall? Where are you facing long odds? I’m not suggesting that you do nothing – that you “let go and let God.” Keep on fighting the good fight; but through your prayer let God enter the fray and fight for you.
PRAYER
O God, I’m facing any number of challenges that would seem to be overwhelming. Contend for me, Lord. Awake and rise to my defense. And, like David, when it’s all said and done, I be sure to give You all the praise.
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