Rejoice

John

Language of Prayer / Psalm 103

Prayer is the experience of all that God is and all that God does.

• we need this because we forget

• Our prayer language needs to include all that God is and all that God does.

• in your groups answer how the way you pray reflects on what you believe to be true about God.

Prayer is a reminder

Psalm 103:1–2 ESV

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and all that is within me,

bless his holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits,

• Even the psalmist has to tell himself. He has to coach himself to bless God. To not forget Him and His benefits.

• When we pray we announce and we proclaim the goodness of God. We proclaim that God is a benefit and that He is one who has brought all of the goodness of who He is upon us.

• What do you need to be reminded of about God?

Psalm 103:3–5 ESV

who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

who satisfies you with good

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Prayer as an encounter

Psalm 103:6–8 ESV

The Lord works righteousness

and justice for all who are oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,

his acts to the people of Israel.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

• Prayer is reminder but it is not only reminder. It is also an encounter. Prayer is the means through which we encounter God.

• Prayer is more than just obligation or act or ritual. It is entering into Presence. It is the invitation to be with God. And I think we sometimes miss that because we approach prayer not to know God but to get from God.

• How have you encountered God in prayer. Where you recognized you were talking about the God of the Universe?

Prayer as exchange

Psalm 103:10–12 ESV

He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

• As we encounter the God of the Bible. As we know Him through what He states in the Word and encounter Him in our lives we see that God does not just invite us into encounter, He invites us into exchange.

• God Himself whose love extends as high as the heavens are above the earth

• God is showing us what His love does. He exchanges then our transgressions for His love.

Prayer encounters all of God beyond all we can comprehend.

• If you want to know God the all of God, you can encounter Him in prayer. And to encounter Him in prayer is to know Him. We know Him because of Christ.

• Take time in your group to pray and encounter the all of God. Use Psalm 103 to recognize the benefits of God and pray back the psalm to Him.