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Psalm for Prayer and Praise:

Psalm 27 (ESV)

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life;  of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

4 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 inquire in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!

8 You have said, “Seek my face.”  My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

9 Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help.  Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!

10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in

11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence.

13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the Lord!

Scripture Memory

for the Week: Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

Praying through the Psalms

Week of February 7, 2010

Day 1 ~ Our Salvation

Read: Psalm 27, focus today on verses 1 through 4

Consider:

For Adults: Compare verse 4 to verse 1 and consider whether God has been the “stronghold” of your life today. Does your heart reflect verse 4?

Older children: What is a stronghold and what does it mean that God is a stronghold? How does this help you to overcome fear?

Younger children: Where is God’s house? Can you touch it with your hands? Is there anything to be afraid of in God’s house?

Family Application: Talk together about what it means for God to be our salvation and stronghold and how we should desire to know Him more. Talk about how we can know Him through His word and how we can use His word as a guide for our prayers to Him.

Pray: Pray together through these verses of the Psalm. Thank God for how he sent Jesus to offer us shelter from the consequences of our sins and how God protects the souls of His people. Ask Him to give you the heart of psalmist that you might truly treasure the beauty of His person this week.

Meditate: Write this week’s memory verses on a white board in your home and/or on index cards that each family member can carry with them during the week.

Day 2 ~ Our Secure Shelter

Read: Psalm 27, focus today on verses 5 through 10

Consider:

For Adults: How do hard times affect your walk with Christ? How did they affect the Psalmist? What lessons can we carry from hard time to good times?

Older children: What does verse 8 remind us that God has commanded? How can we obey God in this?

Younger children: Does God ever forget about His Children? Does He ever leave His children to take care of themselves without His help?

Family Application: Consider together why God allows His people to go through hard times even when they are under His protection. Talk about how God wants us to earnestly seek Him and treasure Him at all times.

Pray: Pray through verses 5 through 10 of Psalm 27. Thank God that even though everyone else may forsake or fail us, He remains faithful to His children. Ask God to give you a heart to seek Him at all times and eyes to see and appreciate how He directs even our hardships for our good and His glory.

Meditate: See if anyone in the family can quote this week’s memory verse. Make new note cards of any of the cards from Day 1 that may have been lost.

Day 3 ~ Our Hope

Read: Psalm 27, focus today on verses 11 through 14

Consider:

For Adults: Do you have people in your life who act as enemies toward you? How does verse 11 inform how we think and act toward them?

Older children: What do you think verse 13 means? How can Believers know God’s goodness before they meet God finally in Heaven?

Younger children: Does God want us to be patient? (v.14) How has God been patient with us?

Family Application: Talk about how God promises that we can know His goodness in “the Land of living” and how His word guides into Christlikeness even and especially when others make themselves enemies to us. Consider how our hope in Christ can strength us against persecutions and even empower us to love our persecutors.

Pray: Pray through verses 11 through 14 of Psalm 27. Thank God for His promise of present blessing in Christ. Ask Him to help you be more Christ-like in adversity and toward your adversaries. Ask God to help you treasure Him even more during times of hardship to better exemplify Christ this week.

Meditate: See again if anyone in the family can quote this week’s memory verse. Talk about any ways that this verse has encouraged or taught you this week.

Scripture Memory for the Week: Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

Hymn of the Week

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/cochrist.htm