Psalm 20 provides an example of a righteous prayer for victory over enemies. I always appreciate the focus in Psalms on praising and honoring God and not just a focus on what we want.
1May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!
2May He send you help from the sanctuary
And support you from Zion!
3May He remember all your meal offerings
And find your burnt offering acceptable!
4May He grant you your heart’s desires
And fulfill all your counsel!
5We will sing for joy over your victory,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners.
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
6Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
7Some boast in chariots and some in horses,
But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.
8They have bowed down and fallen,
But we have risen and stood upright.
9Save, O Lord;
May the King answer us in the day we call.
Surely all of us have times in our lives when we are facing enemies. They may sometimes be other people who want to come against us personally, or perhaps people who dislike or persecute all Christians, and we must always remain prepared as we face our greatest enemy, Satan.
David consistently calls for joy while he prays for God’s help. He highlights victory as if it has already been achieved. It is not that God has already answered… it is because David trusts God completely. Even while he still experiences the difficult situations and still faces the enemy, David knows that God will answer.
When we come before God is prayer, asking humbly His help, let us remember to rejoice in knowing our loving Creator is in control and He hears our voice. As with David, as we petition God, let us also realize that He will answer. It may not always be how we expect, or when we expect, but God will hear and answer righteous prayer.
To learn more about righteous prayer, study our teaching Learning to Pray Effectively.