Feb 17th 2013 Psalms – Authentic Prayer for Today Week 6 – Remembering

This week we continue to learn authentic prayer through the example of the Psalms. This message unpacks the many prayers of Remembering God’s past goodness in order to foster thanks in the present and trust for the future.

If you want a study tool to go along with the podcast, see Lift Notes here:

Psalms: Authentic Prayer for today, week 6:

Prayers of Remembrance

February 17th, 2013  by Kasey Crawford

Today’s Passages:  Psalm 105; 107:1-16; 77:1-20

“Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered”…Psalm 105:26

 “Let me remember my song in the night;…I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old”…Psalm 77

These are prayers of ____________ the past, in which the one praying recounts and celebrates God’s past goodness in their lives.

The word “remember” comes up over ___ times in ___ different psalms.

In other words, in about _____ of the prayers in psalms, they talk about remembering something God has done.

Why did they do this?   There are 2 big reasons…

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say this— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 3 those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. 4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. 5 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. 6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7 … 8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.                                                                              Psalm 107:1-8

1. They remembered God’s past goodness in order to foster present _____________.

These prayers remind us that we have a lot of power to choose what to focus on and that what we focus on is important, because it becomes our ______________.

If we are not ­­­­______________ about developing an attitude of gratitude then it is easy to slide toward negativity.

I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. 2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; … I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 5 I consider the days of old, the years long ago. 6 I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search: 7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? 8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah 10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.” 11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.                  Psalm 77:1-11

2. They remembered God’s past goodness in order to bring __________ for the future.

He remembers the testimony of God in his life to stir up the _________ that God has done it ___________ and He will do it ____________.

The prayers of the Psalms teach: Remember God’s past goodness in your life to foster thanksgiving in the present and trust for the future.

 

Going Deeper this week…

• Prayerfully reflect back on your life and write down some key moments of your sacred history.  How has God’s goodness and grace been evident? How has God prepared you, protected you, provided for you, taught you, changed you, shaped you, blessed you, healed you, forgiven you, transformed you?
• Make a choice to regularly remember God’s past goodness in your life in order to foster thanksgiving in the present and trust for the future.

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