Lifegroup Study Guide for Psalms

LifeGroup Study Guide for Psalms

Prepare and Pray. With your Bible, pen, notebook/journal and this study guide, find a quiet place to begin your Scripture meditation. Relax physically and focus spiritually. Center your thoughts on God. Begin with a simple prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to speak and reveal God’s Word to you.

Read the psalm.

Reflect and Answer. Write your answers in a journal or even in your Bible. 1. What about the psalm do you like or find interesting?

2. What questions do you have about the psalm?

3. Investigate, with the help of a bible commentary and/or Study Bible notes, and write down any significant insights that help unveil the psalm to you.

4. What does this psalm teach about people?

5. What does this psalm teach about God?

Read the psalm again now with your heart open to the Holy Spirit.

6. What is God asking you through this psalm? What part of the psalm resonates with you? Why do you think so?

Pray to the Lord using the psalm as your encouragement or pattern. Now respond back to God in prayer using the psalm as your encouragement or even pattern for your prayer. Don’t worry about whether your prayer is profound or long. Just let your prayer speak your heart to the Lord. Some suggestions:

 Write down your prayer in a journal or notebook. Writing it out will allow you to slow down and be thoughtful and intentional with your words to the Lord.

 Feel free to use the language or images in the psalm. Pattern your prayer after it.

 Allow the psalm to encourage your heart language to speak freely to the Lord. Let the themes or thoughts that struck you in the psalm to be the focus of your prayer.

 Be honest in your prayer. Psalm 1 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Prayer Response by Brian Lowe Heavenly Father, Thank you for Your Word, and for speaking to my heart. Father, forgive me for not meditating on Your word throughout the day. If I had, I could've shown more grace to the customer ahead of me at the market this morning. I could've intervened and shown Your love towards her. Lord, I pray that You would place a yearning in my heart to study Your word to be that healthy tree planted by the abundant streams. I desire that my life would continue to bear fruit and that others who don't know You would be drawn to the beauty of the Gospel apparent in my life. Help me to be firmly planted and not be swayed by selfish or evil desires. Only by Your grace can I accomplish this and not by my own strength, so I surrender to You, Lord. May Your word ever be on my thoughts. In Your Name, Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Prayer Response by Satoshi Nago Lord, I struggle trying to be present with you daily. The day to day consumes me. I admit I give very little to you. There are days when I give you nothing of myself. Allow me to stop and see you. Open my heart to hear you. May I be consumed by you...even if it is a little bit at a time. May I be in your presence daily. Amen.

Prayer Response by Chiyeko Takayoshi Father, Thank You for this warning and promise in Psalm 1. Thank You for being so faithful and for providing Your Word to know You. I want to know You more than I know You now. I want to love You more than I love You now. As I begin the two-year Bible reading plan, help me to use each day’s reading to hear what You have to say to me that day. Help me to not make the daily Bible reading as part of my daily checklist and never hear You speak directly to me. Soften my heart so Your Holy Spirit can freely speak and move in me. I want to You to be alive in me! I will be rooted in Your Word and I will meditate on it day and night. My delight is in You, Lord! I love you. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.