Our pastor is doing a study on the book of psalms, which is one of my favorite books in the Bible. I can totally relate to David and his crying out to God. I just found this amazing verse in Psalms 72 from a study guide that showed how David's extravagant prayers for his "royal son" came to pass and how sometimes we need to get out on a limb and ask God to move! Calling on God's blessings mean being in the mind of the father and knowing that the things we request are only for him to do -- not us! If we can do it -- it's not a prayer!
I think that our self-sufficient culture has made us afraid to rely on anyone and to trust in things that are beyond our control. But, a real and honest relationship with God will produce a desire to move in the realm of the unimaginable and unthinkable and to challenge us to move towards new heights.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. aptly said, "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."
Here is the bible study that i found on making our own personal pslams.
3. Calling for blessings.
Many of the Psalms are bold requests for blessings from God, sometimes they even seem extravagent they ask so much. Read David's prayer for Solomon in Ps 72, how extravagent does it seem? Was it fulfilled?
(Psalms 72 NIV) Of Solomon.
Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. {2} He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. {3} The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. {4} He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor. {5} He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. {6} He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. {7} In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more. {8} He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. {9} The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust. {10} The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. {11} All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him. {12} For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. {13} He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. {14} He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. {15} Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long. {16} Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field. {17} May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. {18} Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. {19} Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. {20} This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.
a) What blessings are being asked for?
b) How confident does David seem that Solomon would be blessed?
c) How many of these blessings tie in with promises of God?
39.5 weeks!
