Thursday 8 August 2013

Read: Psalm 42

Do you struggle in your prayers? That's great! Do you want to scream out to God about your circumstances? Why don't you? Do you want to wrestle with the things God is doing in your life? Tell Him. Tell Him everything.

 

My friends, God is not some distant being, uninterested in the details of your life. He weeps when you weep, He rejoices when you are happy, and He mourns when we are down and broken.

 

Prayer is not simply our communication channel with a God who cares only about His own agenda. We have on the other end one who understands and is able to sympathise with our weaknesses and struggles (Hebrews 4:14–16). Instead, we are able to approach the throne of grace with every confidence that we are understood, not just heard.

 

Psalm 42 is a great example of the reality and humanity of prayer. We should not imagine life is meant to be perfect, it's not perfect; but we do have a God who desires to walk with us through life's storms. Prayer is our channel to express the deepest, darkest thoughts of our hearts to someone who truly understands. There is nothing which need be held back in our prayers with the Almighty and Gracious God.

 

Would you dare to reveal the deepest secrets of your soul to the Lord God? Would you dare to lay yourself bare before Him? Would you dare to be real? To be true? Even, to speak in anger to Lord God Almighty?

 

Prayer is a journey we take with God. It is learning more about Him, but it involves being true to ourselves. If we seek to restrain or hide ourselves from God, we close ourselves from allowing God to step in and make a difference in our lives.

 

Read through the psalm again and see the journey of the psalmist, as he moves from despair to hope and worship. If you're not sure how to pray, or what to say, let me encourage you to read through the Psalms. Meditate upon them and let their words become your own, and may the Spirit of God be your guide and teacher.

 

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

— Hebrews 4:16

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Praise God for His love for you and His interest in every area of your life. Spend some time today honestly expressing to God your deepest fears, worries, loves and passions. Spend time talking with God about your life and all that He has done in it. Pray that God would help you to trust in Him with all of these things and that you might serve Him with all your heart today.

¥ Pray for the ministry of Jim and Faye Lyons with Straight Talk Australia. Thank God for their passion for the youth of Australia and their devotion in serving God in this way. Pray that through their work that many students would be drawn to Christ and that they would be challenged by God’s standard for sexuality in their lives.

 

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. How would you describe your prayers? Are they big, hairy, audacious prayers? What holds you back from praying in this way?

2. Are you confident in your prayers? Do you believe God will answer them? Why don’t you think He will? What gives you confidence He will?