Jan 13th, 2013 Psalms Authentic Prayer for Today Wk1

January 15, 2013/jessecraig

This week we jump into the book of Psalms and unpack authentic prayer for today. This message focuses on prayers of hunger and thirst for God.

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

Psalms: Authentic Prayer for today, week 1:

Prayers of Hunger and Thirst for God

January 13th , 2013 by Kasey Crawford

Today’s Passages: Psalm 42:1-2, Psalm 27:4,8, John 17:3, Psalm 63:1-7

Simply put, the Psalms are ____________ with God put to __________.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

Psalm 42:1–2

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple…You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” Psalm 27:4,8

These prayers are expressing one of the deepest realities of being human, namely:We are made to __________.

That is why Jesus describes eternal life as simply knowing God:

“And this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3

We are made to have our souls satisfied through worship. Knowing God is knowing the most ________ _______________ object of worship.

The whole point of our existence is that he has invited us into ___________ with him. But knowing God doesn’t happen in a one-time experience. As we intentionally _______ to know God more, God __________ more of who He is to us. Our souls get the joy of knowing and thus worshiping the perfect one as we discover that God is the most awe-inspiring, wonder causing, beautiful, powerful person that exists.

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 63:1–7

These prayers of the God-seekers are timely reminders that our life as Christians is meant to have a laser sharp ________: we want to _________ God __________.

So we need to ask ourselves regularly, “why am I doing this church thing?” It should simply be, to _________ to ________ God more.

Everything the world invites us to worship is like dim ______ of light compared to God the _____________ _______.

“Your love is better than life…” It is not something that can be ___________, it is something that has to be _____________.

The psalmist’s unabashed declaration is that God is the _________ for his soul.

As we earnestly seek to know God more, and pray these kind of prayers in which we express to God our hunger to be satisfied; and we ask God to show us more of who he is, he will do it. And He will become be the food for our souls that becomes what we want to _________ on all the time.

Going Deeper this week….

Do you pray to God like these God-seekers in the psalms?

In your prayers do you express a hunger and thirst to know God more?

Spend some time reading through the above Psalms that express hunger for God and make each of them part of what you pray to God every day this week.