This is a powerful Verse of Scripture!

It’s part of a prayer, all of Psalm 20 being the “unit,” the “set” of petitions directed to God.

Our Lesson today: “Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.” Again, this is Psalm 20:4.

These two desires are “spoken” to an individual, but will be “prayed” to God on behalf of that man or woman. Can you imagine anyone caring for you that much? “May God … grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.”

Let’s examine the two “halves” of the verse.

First … “Grant thee according to thine own heart.” The Hebrew verb “grant” is “nathan,” meaning “to give, but also “to set up, to establish.” To commit or entrust to a person certain things. The expression “thine own heart” means that person’s “innermost” desires! (I thus surmise that he or she is a very godly person, whose “desires” will be acceptable to God!) And yes, the Bible does make such blanket promises to certain people. For example, Psalm 37:4. “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

Wow!

Then the last clause … “Fulfill all thy counsel.” This is almost “make all your words come true!” The verb “fulfill” is “male” in Hebrew. It means “to wholly accomplish!” To fill something “to the brim!” Twice in the King James Version of the Bible this word is translated “overflow!” And it is even rendered “replenish” 7 times!

Powerful!

The noun “counsel” is “etzsah,” meaning “advice.” One’s very “purposes!” And once, but beautifully so, it is written as “advisements.” It is derived from a verb that means “to determine or devise.”

Jesus, in John 15:7, comes close to this idea. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

Wow again!

To pray this for a national leader (which may be the case here in Psalm 20) is wise.

To pray it for one’s Pastor may be even more appropriate for the Christian today.

But to pray it for God’s ANOINTED (verse 6 coming up soon) … might mean praying it now for our Saviour, for the Lord Jesus Christ! And I will guarantee you this: the desires of His Heart and the purposes of His Counsel … will be given!

What a verse!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

The Lord willing, another Lesson tomorrow.