Praying Past Solomon
Scripture Reading: Psalm 72; Proverbs 22-25; 2 Corinthians 4
“May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!” – Psalm 72:8
Psalm 72 is unique. It sits at the very end of the second book of Psalms, closing with a doxology:
“Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!” (vs. 18–19)
And then, almost like a period at the end of a chapter: “The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.” (v. 20)
That doesn’t mean David never prayed again. It’s more like a signal that this collection has been gathered, and the editor wanted us to pause, give thanks, and look ahead.
At first glance, this psalm is a prayer for Solomon. David longs for his son’s reign to be marked by justice, righteousness, compassion for the poor, and prosperity for the people. That much fits Solomon.
But if you keep reading, you realize the prayer goes beyond him. “May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!” (v. 11). “May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun!” (v. 17).
That’s bigger than Solomon. His reign was grand, but it wasn’t endless. His fame spread wide, but not to the ends of the earth. The Spirit is carrying David’s prayer past his son to his greater Son—Jesus Christ.
This psalm is a kingdom psalm. It gives us a picture of what the reign of God’s true King looks like: justice for the poor, righteousness for the nations, abundance and peace for all. It points us forward to the day when Christ reigns visibly over all the earth.
But it also brings us back to today. On Wednesdays I try to focus on praying for leaders in government and the church. While this prayer reminds us that our hope isn’t ultimately in earthly rulers—wise or foolish, strong or weak. Instead, our hope is in the King whose name endures forever. Nevertheless, we are to pray for our leaders. This Psalm is a model of how we can both pray in the here and now for presidents and pastors while still looking forward to Christ and His future reign.
So when you pray Psalm 72, you can pray it in two ways:
Lord, help our leaders reflect something of this justice and compassion.
Lord Jesus, come and fulfill this prayer completely in Your kingdom.
Psalm 72 ends with “Amen and Amen.” That’s not a bad way to end our prayers too.
