Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from Radical.net.

Psalm chapter 45 verse 7, therefore God, your God has anointed you with the oil of

gladness beyond your companions. So this is an interesting verse right in the middle of an

entire chapter basically devoted to praying for and in a sense praising the king. So this

psalm from the very beginning. Verse 1 says, my heart overflows with a pleasing theme.

I address my verses to the king. My tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. So he's writing

to the king and it begins to talk about the king of Israel. You are the most handsome of the sons

of men. Grace is poured upon your lips. God has blessed you forever and then it begins to talk about

the king's goodness and majesty, all as a reflection of God the king. So in verse 6 talks about

your throne. Oh God is forever and ever. So the psalm is exalting God as the ultimate king

and according to God's design, the king over his people was intended to be a reflection of God

the king and that's what the psalm is all about. So there's much we can think about when it comes to

Old Testament history and how kings did or most often did not reflect the character of God.

But then the psalm as I think about application certainly causes me to think of how God has

set up many leaders in the world to be a reflection of his character and how we need to pray

for leaders toward that end. I certainly need to pray for pastors toward that end. Pastors

are intended to be a reflection as shepherds of the flock of the chief shepherd are intended to be

reflection of the character of God as a pastor. I would certainly ask those who I have the humbling

privilege to shepherd in the church. I would ask them to pray for me that I would be a reflection

of God's character in the way I teach his word in the way I love them. Certainly not just for me,

but for every other pastor in our church and every pastor in any church. So I would encourage you

to pray for pastors that they would be a reflection of God's character and pray specifically for them

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