Single lesson
Psalm 72: Endow the King with Your Justice
Psalms 72:1–20
Psalm 72 is a prayer asking God to give a king justice and righteousness. Children can trace who is being addressed, notice the speaker-related note at the end, and follow how the psalm moves from request to praise.
Before you teach
In Psalm 72, the speaker asks God to give the king justice and righteousness. The psalm describes rule that helps the poor and needy, brings peace, and reaches widely. It ends by praising Yahweh God and includes a closing note that says, “This ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse.”
Students will identify that Psalm 72 addresses God, notice the closing speaker-related note in Psalms 72:20, name at least three images in the psalm, and explain how it moves from prayer for the king to praise of God.
Welcome: Who is this prayer talking to?
5 minBegin by telling students this is a psalm, a prayer or poem. Read verse 1 aloud and ask who is being addressed. Point out that the speaker asks God to give the king justice and righteousness. Explain that justice here is about right judgement, especially for people who need help.
Psalms 72:1, Psalms 72:2
Read and explain: What kind of king is described?
7 minRead verses 2 to 7. Help students notice that this king judges with righteousness, helps the poor, saves the needy, and brings peace. Show the images of mountains bringing prosperity and rain watering the earth. These word pictures describe life, growth, and goodness under right rule.
Psalms 72:2, Psalms 72:3, Psalms 72:4, Psalms 72:6, Psalms 72:7
Discuss: How far does this rule reach, and who benefits?
7 minRead verses 8 to 17 in small parts. Ask students to listen for big words and big distances. The psalm speaks about dominion from sea to sea, kings bringing gifts, and all nations serving. It also explains why this matters: the king delivers the needy, has pity, and treats their lives as precious.
Psalms 72:8, Psalms 72:10, Psalms 72:11, Psalms 72:12, Psalms 72:13, Psalms 72:14, Psalms 72:17
Make and respond: Draw the movement of the psalm
8 minStudents create an illustrated prayer card with three panels: prayer for justice, pictures of flourishing and peace, and praise to God. Encourage them to include words from the psalm such as justice, rain, peace, needy, glory, or blessed. Remind them that the final praise is directed to Yahweh God.
Psalms 72:1, Psalms 72:6, Psalms 72:7, Psalms 72:12, Psalms 72:18, Psalms 72:19
Closing: What does the ending note say?
3 minRead verses 18 to 20 together. Point out that after the long prayer about the king, the psalm ends by praising God, who alone does marvellous deeds. Then ask what verse 20 says about these prayers. Keep the answer careful and simple by repeating its words about “the prayers by David, the son of Jesse”.
Psalms 72:18, Psalms 72:19, Psalms 72:20
Questions to explore
In verse 1, who is asked to act, and what is the speaker asking for the king?
Look closely at the opening words and name the gifts requested: justice and righteousness.
Psalms 72:1
Which people are especially mentioned as receiving help from this king?
Listen for repeated groups in the middle of the psalm, including the poor, the needy, children of the needy, and the one who has no helper.
Psalms 72:4, Psalms 72:12, Psalms 72:13, Psalms 72:14
What does verse 20 say about these prayers, and how is that different from who is addressed in verse 1?
Use the exact words of verse 20 about “the prayers by David, the son of Jesse”, then compare them with verse 1, where God is addressed.
Psalms 72:1, Psalms 72:20
Make, think or respond
Three-Panel Psalm 72 Prayer Card
What you’ll need
- paper or card
- pencils
- coloured pens or crayons
- Bible text written out or read aloud
Try it together
- Fold or divide the paper into three panels.
- In the first panel, write and draw ideas from verses 1 to 4 about justice, righteousness, and help for the poor.
- In the second panel, draw one or two images from the psalm such as rain on grass, peace, flourishing grain, or kings bringing gifts.
- In the third panel, write a line of praise to God using words from verses 18 and 19, then share the card with the group.
This activity helps students see the psalm’s movement from asking God to help the king, to describing blessing and justice, and finally to praising God.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, pre-draw three boxes and let them choose one image for each section of the psalm instead of writing full phrases.
- For older or more confident readers, ask them to label each panel with a verse number and explain why that verse belongs in prayer, description, or praise.
An optional closing prayer
'God, please teach us to love justice, care about people in need, and praise your glorious name. Amen.'
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Psalms 72
1 God, give the king your justice; your righteousness to the royal son.
2 He will judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
3 The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people. The hills bring the fruit of righteousness.
4 He will judge the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy, and will break the oppressor in pieces.
5 They shall fear you while the sun endures; and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 He will come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.
7 In his days, the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. His enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
11 Yes, all kings shall fall down before him. All nations shall serve him.
12 For he will deliver the needy when he cries; the poor, who has no helper.
13 He will have pity on the poor and needy. He will save the souls of the needy.
14 He will redeem their soul from oppression and violence. Their blood will be precious in his sight.
15 He will live; and Sheba’s gold will be given to him. Men will pray for him continually. They will bless him all day long.
16 Abundance of grain shall be throughout the land. Its fruit sways like Lebanon. Let it flourish, thriving like the grass of the field.
17 His name endures forever. His name continues as long as the sun. Men shall be blessed by him. All nations will call him blessed.
18 Praise be to Yahweh God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and amen.
20 This ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.