Morningview Family Worship Week of March 7, 2010
Psalm for Prayer and Praise:
Psalm for Prayer and Praise: Psalm 46 (NASB)
1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Scripture Memory for the Week: Psalm 46:10-11
“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Praying through the Psalms
Day 1 ~ The Lord, a Present Help
Read: Psalm 46, focus on verses 1-3
Consider:
For Adults: How is God the “very present help” that psalmist speak of in v.1 when we face tragedy? Is Christ the basis of your confidence today for bold Christian living? Why or why not?
Older children: What sort of things can happen in great earthquakes and other natural disasters? How can God be a refuge for people even for those who have suffered great losses in natural disasters?
Younger children: Have you ever been afraid? How do your parents help you to not be afraid? How does God help us not to fear?
Family Application: Talk together about how God is a refuge for all who call upon Him in truth (last week’s psalm). How does He sustain His people even in times of terrible tragedy?
Pray: Pray together through these verses of the Psalm. Praise God that He is our rock and refuge in every trouble. Thank Him for prayers answered in the past and for prayers that He may even be answering now. Confess your temptation to act and think out of fear instead of faith and ask Him to strengthen your faith for the week ahead.
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 ~ The Dwelling Place of God
Read: Psalm 46, focus on verses 4-7
Consider:
For Adults: Notice that while the calamities in the first section of the psalm are both natural and man-made(v.6), the call to rest in the character of God is the same in both instances. What could this be suggesting to us about God’s sovereign rule over the universe?
Older children: What does it mean to be in “The City of God” in verse 4? Is this a place, something else or is it somehow both? Why does the psalmist feel so confident in God despite the calamity and unrest people are causing in the first part of verse 6?
Younger children: God is everywhere. God is also “specially” present in His church. Does that mean God lives in His church-buildings, or in His church-people?
Family Application: Consider together some of the different types of hardships that people can face and how we can rest in God and find refuge in Him through them all. How is it actually a comfort that face the clamoring of the nations (v.6), God’s voice alone is powerful enough to melt the the earth?
Pray: Pray through today’s verses of Psalm 46. Thank God that He promises to dwell with people (His “city”) and to provide for them and protect them. Thank God that He is sovereign and unthreatened by any natural, social, or political calamity. Confess to Him any struggle that you are having resting in Him and ask Him to strengthen your faith in the knowledge of His character.
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 ~ Security in Sovereignty
Read: Psalm 46, focus on verses 8-11
Consider:
For Adults: We see in this Psalm that God wields His awesome power to command the attention of the nations by asserting His Sovereign power over all human military might. Scripture shows in detail how he has done this in the past and declares that He will do it fully and finally in the age to come. How do we rest presently in this future hope?
Older children: Why is it important that the Psalmist mentions God’s power to bring “desolations” on the earth? Is it better for someone to obey God because they fear His power or because they love His mercy?
Younger children: How do feel when you see your friends fighting and arguing? Do you feel better when a grown-up makes them stop? Did you know that one day God will stop all fighting? How does that make you feel about God?
Family Application: Talk together about how we should seek to “cease striving” and to rest in God in the patterns of daily lives. Talk about how God uses his power to bring peace and ultimately how he brings peace through the gospel of Jesus.
Pray: Pray through today’s verses of psalm 46. Thank God that He calls His people to rest in the knowledge of His sovereignty and that He will one day bring a full and final peace on the Earth through the glorious return of Christ.
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.
