God, give your justice to the king

God, give Your justice to the king and Your righteousness to the king’s son.

-Psalm 72:1

What do we do with verses like this?  Isaac Watts wrote a hymn called "Jesus Shall Reign" based on this psalm.  These words are attributed to Solomon, who was asking God to help him to be a good king.

Solomon and his words anticipate Christ.  Christ is the ultimate dispenser of God's justice and righteousness.

But these words are also real requests, written in real time, for that present time and for this present time (2 Tim. 3:16).  These requests of Solomon echo his request to God for wisdom, when God appeared to him in a dream and asked him what he wanted (1 Kings 3:9).

Today, we can say, "God, give your justice to the king and Your righteousness to the king's son", and apply it to our president.  Christians should always be praying for those in authority:

First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
-1 Timothy 2:1-4

The specific prayer, in Psalm 72:1, is for justice and righteousness: the ability to make just decisions and the ability to make fair decisions.  This is the gift of wise rule and the gift of just rule, that is being asked for of God, for the king.

This is how believers can pray this, for President Trump:

"God, we ask you to give President Trump the ability to make just decisions.  God, we ask that you give President Trump the ability to make fair decisions.  God, we ask that you give President Trump the gift of wise rule and the gift of just rule.  God, give Your justice to President Trump.  God, also give Your righteousness to President Trump.  God, we pray for Your righteousness, Your justice, Your vindication, Your deliverance, Your fairness and for Your integrity to come to bear through President Trump."

When I went to a non-denominational Christian college, in the 1990's, I stood up one day and addressed the student body and said that I think we should pray for President Clinton, and I was booed.  But, I loved my peers and became close friends with a number of them.