83:1 Our ultimate prayed in life should be for God to be vocal, present and active in our lives and in the world around us. Our God is constantly a Father and employs instruction and discipline throughout our lives. We should welcome and treasure His contributions to our lives, His judgement on our actions and His advice for the growth of our character. Sometimes what He has to say will not be what we want to hear, but it will always be what we need to hear.
83:2-4 The Psalmist felt surrounded by enemies and tumult. He felt like the people around him where more cunning and powerful then he was. It's true that we, ourselves, will not at all times in all places be the smartest or the most clever. Neither will we be the strongest. But every time we walk into a room with God, with our faith, having given our Father full authority in our lives, we become those things. Because God is the smartest and most clever. He is the strongest. With Him, we are not vulnerable to our enemies.
83:5-17 Our ultimate war is against evil; and it was a war God has already won. In the meantime, while people live and subsequently decide which side of the war they are on, we have our God to insert justice through our prayers. The Psalmist prayed for the wicked to be thwarted and ashamed of their behavior. We learn from scripture how powerful intercessory prayer is. God listens to and answers our prayers. Our work on earth as agents of His philanthropy matters. Our faith makes a difference; our prayer for others changes lives because our God is attentive and fantastically compassionate.
83:18 The whole earth shall know that our God is the Most High. Enemies continue to fall as we raise God with our praise.
