Morningview Family Worship Week of May 30, 2010
Psalm for Prayer and Praise: Psalm 119:25-40 (NASB)
25 My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive me according to Your word.
26 I have told of my ways, and You have answered me; Teach me Your statutes.
27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts, So I will meditate on Your wonders.
28 My soul weeps because of grief; Strengthen me according to Your word.
29 Remove the false way from me, And graciously grant me Your law.
30 I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Your ordinances before me.
31 I cling to Your testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame!
32 I shall run the way of Your commandments, For You will enlarge my heart.
33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall observe it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law And keep it with all my heart.
35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain.
37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways.
38 Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You.
39 Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good.
40 Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me through Your righteousness.
Scripture Memory for the Week: Psalm 119:37
Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways.
Praying through the Psalms
Day 1 ~ The Ministries of the Word of God
Read: Psalm 119:25-32
Consider:
For Adults: In this psalm, we find the psalmist distressed and struggling to hold onto the promises and truth of God’s word. Notice how the psalmist answers his struggles by praying for God to minister to him by His word. What ministries do you see the Word preforming in these verses? Do you need these ministries this week?
Older Children: Look at verse 9 and read it again. What do you think the “false way” could be? Have you had to have help removing a “false way” from your own heart? Who and what has God given us to help with removing “false ways” from our hearts?
Younger Children: Have you ever been scared and grabbed onto your Mom or Dad really hard? Why do you think that you held close to them rather than something else like a stuffed animal or another toy? What did the psalmist “grab onto” for his security? Why?
Family Application: Talk together about all of the ways that God ministers to us by His Word (i.e. correction, strengthening, refreshing) and consider together which of those ministries your family stands in need of this week.
Pray: Thank God for how He works so powerfully through His written word and praise Him for his mercy in sending it for us. Pray that God would help you to draw near to Him through His word this week and that it would perform its ministry in your home 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 ~ Help for Understanding
Read: Psalm 119:33-36
Consider:
For Adults: It is interesting to note that in verse 35 the psalmist prays for God’s help to make him walk in His paths even though he says that he delights in it. Do you ever find yourself struggling to make the righteous choice that you know will bring you joy and delight? How do you think the power of indwelling sin affects your choices and how do you think that reality should affect your prayer life?
Older children: Read today’s verses then read 1 Corinthians 2:14. Why do you think that the psalmist prays what he does in verses 33 and 34. Why do you think that you should be praying this way?
Younger Children: Have you ever been somewhere with your parents where they made you hold their hands and kept you walking close to them, even though you wanted to go somewhere else? Why do you think your parents did this? Does God do that to us sometime too? (v.35)
Family Application: Talk together about how the Word of God is spiritual and how it can’t be truly or fully understood without the special work of God’s Spirit upon the heart. Talk about why it is important to approach the word of God with prayer and humility.
Pray: Praise God for not only sending His word, but for also sending His Spirit to open the minds of sinful human beings and to teach us the Word of God. Pray that His Spirit would be active in your minds this week as you look into God’s word and that He would give you the strength to apply and obey what we read in God’s word.
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 ~ God’s Reviving Righteousness
Read: Psalm 119:37-40
Consider:
For Adults: Look closely at verses 39 and 40. The “reproach” in question is most like that which is justly due to acts of unrighteousness. How does God’s righteousness save His children from such reproach? Are you trusting Christ’s righteousness available to you through the cross today? How does this righteousness revive us?
Older Children: Read verse 38 again. What is reverence for God? How do you think God’s word produces “reverence” for God in our hearts?
Younger Children: Do your parents let you watch ANYTHING on TV or do they only let you watch what they say is O.K? Why do you think parent do this? Do you know that we can become like what we watch? Read our memory verse again. What sort of things do you think that God wants us to watch, think about, and be like?
Family Application: Talk together about what fruit reading God’s word together is producing in your home. Talk about how you are growing in reverence for God and in trusting in Christ for your needs and your joy.
Pray: Thank God again for sending us His word to show us the Gospel and for sending Jesus to earn righteousness that revives dead sinners. Thank God that all the reproach of His people was laid on Jesus at the cross and worship Him for providing us a way to share in his everlasting glory and joy.
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.
Hymn of the Week
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/t/btmvison.htm
