Notes
This study is the big finale to last week’s study, both in Psalm 5. You can catch up on that sermon here.
Many Christians have weak prayer lives because they honestly just don’t feel like praying. Based on Psalm 5:3, it seems that one motivator to feeling like praying is expectation. David prayed and “eagerly watched”. I suspect much of our weakness in prayer is due to lack of expectation. Often, we don’t really believe that God will respond.
James 1:6-8 offers a harsh warning about this. Those who pray and don’t expect God to respond are like sea surf tossed by the wind (wishy-washy). They are double-minded and unstable in all their ways. And they should not expect to receive anything from God because faith is a vital component of prayer.
This lack of expectation is common because it often seems like God is not listening. There are several possible reasons for this:
1. He’s saying No, because it’s not in his will. (1 John 5:14)
2. He’s saying Yes, but not now. (2 Peter 3:8)
3. He’s saying Yes, but not how you expect. (ex: Jewish prayers for a Messiah)
4. He’s not listening to your prayer until you repent. (Isaiah 58:5-10; 1 Peter 3:7)
David’s prayers were based on his meditation on God and scripture, so he was confident that God would respond. We too can pray this confidently and eagerly watch as God works powerfully in our lives.
Discussion Q’s
1. Describe your experience with prayer, both the challenges and rewards.
2. Read Psalm 5:1-3 and observe how David prays: speaking, thinking, crying, and with carefully composed words. Which of these most often characterizes your praying? Why?
3. Read Psalm 5:4-7 and observe David’s meditation about God. What do you think keeps many people from thinking deeply about God, scripture, and “the things above”? What are some practical things you can do to meditate about these things during real life?
4. Read Psalm 5:8-12 and observe David’s requests. Share a prayer request you have made in the past? How did God respond (i.e. yes, no, not now) Why do you think God responded the way he did?
5. Re-read Psalm 5:3. Like David, do you eagerly watch for God’s response after praying? Why or why not? What prayer do you most long for God to respond to?
6. How can you serve each other as a group in light of this passage?
7. How can your group pray for you? Pray together as a group.**
*Remember to keep your comments Biblical and beneficial during the discussion.
**Praying as a group is easy. Those who feel so inclined can pray aloud for specific needs discussed prior to the prayer time. Others can pray silently along with those who take turns praying aloud. Just designate a person to begin and end the prayer time.
