Class Material
The Prayers of Ancient Israel for Christians Today (Four Weeks in Psalms)
This booklet was written to assist us in studying four Psalms in a four-week home Bible study.
PRAYING ALONGSIDE ANCIENT ISRAEL TODAY
We can often struggle with what to say when we speak with God. Whether times are good or bad, we can have this insecurity that can often prevent us from praying at all. In good times, it is easy to forget God. In trying times, we can find ourselves asking challenging questions about God and prayer. “Who is God, really? What is he up to? What should I pray for? Is he really listening? Will he actually answer? What do I do if he seems deaf to my requests? Am I doing something wrong?”
The Psalms give us a solid place to drop our anchor so we can deal with these questions and draw near to our ever-present God in meaningful ways. The Psalms are thousands of years old. They were written by people who were anointed in ways we aren’t; yet, they still walked through the same good times and challenging pressures we walk through today. Though they knew God, they still asked the same questions. Sickness, injustice, seemingly failed promises, sin, abundant blessing, and unbelievable rescue - these ancients have been through it all. Their prayers and songs have not only been approved by God, they have been prayed and sung by believers for thousands of years.
These ancient Psalms can guide us to have meaningful conversations with God today. So, for four weeks we are going to read the songs and prayers of ancient Israel so we can draw near to the heart of God and the hearts of brothers and sisters who walked through mountains of joy and valleys of death with our great God.
“The Lord Will Not Forsake His People (Psalm 94)
“God’s Glory: The Heavens and the Law” (Psalm 19)
“The Joy of Forgiveness” (Psalm 32)
“In the Shadow of Your Wings (Psalm 17)
- Psalms_Four_Weeks_Rev2.pdf (247.34 kB)
