Prayer Guide: Psalm 80

​Ever have a bad day? Or a string of bad days? Or a bad season?

In times like that, it’s easy to struggle to feel the presence of God.

We believe that God has promised us things, and when those things don’t happen, or seem to be taken away, we can lose confidence…and faith.

Imagine, then, the people of God in the Old Testament—living by promises made by God that they would hold land, be led by a King, and worship in a Temple. Imagine their thoughts when these things were taken away from them—the promises of God, crumbling around them.

How should they pray? How would you pray?

Psalm 80 teaches us how to pray with hope in the midst of disappointment.

• God is a Shepherd who hears and restores
• God cared for a vine that he planted ( a metaphor for Israel), which is now cut down
• Though the vine is cut down, the vine can be restored—if God will restore it
• The psalms acts as a prayer of restoration to the God who restores

Remember, as you pray, to pray the “so that” — that God will answer prayer so that he will become known as the God Who Restores.

Prayer Guide: Psalm 95

Psalm 95 is one of my favourite psalms. It begins with praise and worship. It is good for us to praise God.

And the psalmist records a number of reasons for why God is praiseworthy:

God has

• established himself above all other gods (3)
• formed creation by his own power (4, 5)
• shephered us as his own flock (6, 7)

These are all praiseworthy things God has done for us.

But then the psalm takes a turn (8-11), and it begins to challenge us about our receptivity to God’s gifts.

“Today, if only you would hear his voice, [d]o not harden your hearts…”

The psalmist details the ordeal of the Israelites in the wilderness, who hardened their hearts against God by refusing to listen to him.

The result? “They shall never enter my rest” (11).

We have a choice in our relationship with God. It can be one-sided, where God gives and gives and gives until he shuts it off because it is unreciprocated, or we can soften our hearts, listen to him, and submit ourselves to our shepherd.

​The choice is yours. Pray well this week.

​Monday, July 27 - Psalm 119:161-168

• I praise you, Lord, for your righteousness that helps me when…
  
• Father, bless me as I wait upon you so that…
  

Tuesday, July 28 - Psalm 119:169-176

• I thank you, Father, for the way you shepherd me in…
  
• Lord, deliver me from…
  

Wednesday, July 29 - 1 Samuel 2:1-10

• Lord, I praise you for your holiness because…
  
• Father, I seek you as my Rock in…
  

Thursday, July 30 - 1 Samuel 2:1-10

• Father, I rejoice in you because…
  
• Lord, may I prevail by your strength in…
  

Friday, July 31 - Luke 1:46-55

• Lord, I glorify you in…
  
• Father, I praise you for the great things you have done and pray for more great things to be done in...
  

​Monday, July 13 - Psalm 119:81-88

• Lord, I praise you for being dependable and trustworthy when…
  
• Father, I wait upon you for…
  
• Lord, in your unfailing love, preserve us from our enemies...
  

Tuesday, July 14 - Psalm 119:89-96

• Father, I praise you for your unfailing love in…
  
• Lord, preserve my life in…
  
• God, may we walk in your salvation in...
  

Wednesday, July 15 - Psalm 119:97-104

• I praise you, Lord, for wisdom and understanding that helps me with…
  
• Father, help me to continue to discern your ways in…
  
• Lord, as I meditate on your word, give me wisdom and insight for...
  

Thursday, July 16 - Psalm 119:105-112

• Lord, I thank you for the times your word has been a light for my path…
  
• Father, help me to focus on the joy that is in you rather than…
  
• Lord, give me strength to stand against the snares and traps of others...
  

Friday, July 17 - Psalm 119:113-120

• I praise you, Lord, for being my refuge and shield when…
  
• Father, sustain me in…
  
• God, give me power to discern your ways instead of the double-minded ways of...
  

​Monday, July 6 - Psalm 119:41-48

• Lord, thank you for your unfailing love, which I have experienced when…
  
• Lord, may your unfailing love come to me now so that…
  
• Father, help me to delight in your commands and not see them as burdens so that...
  

Tuesday, July 7 - Psalm 119:49-56

• Father, thank you for your promise that preserves my life…
  
• Lord, remember your word to me so that…
  
• God, empower me to find strength in obeying you...
  

Wednesday, July 8 - Psalm 119:57-64

• Thank you, Lord, for being my portion and supplying me when…
  
• Lord, according to your promise, be gracious to me in…
  
• Father, help me not to forget you when...
  

Thursday, July 9 - Psalm 119:65-72

• I praise you, Lord, for the good you have done to me when…
  
• Father, teach me knowledge and good judgment so that…
  
• Empower me, O God, to see your word as more precious than silver or gold so that...
  

Friday, July 10 - Psalm 119:73-80

• I praise you, Lord, for your righteous word that guides and teaches me when…
  
• Father, may your unfailing love be my comfort when…
  
• Lord, give me understanding of your ways so that…
  

​Psalm 142 is a meditation on the care, protection, and refuge offered by God.

Praiseworthy Characteristics and Attributes of God

• God gives mercy; he is merciful (1)
• God hears us when we cry out to him (2)
• God knows what we should do (3)
• God is a place of refuge and safety (5)
• God is our desire (5)
• God is a rescuer, redeemer, and restorer (6-7)

Reverence
Lord God, I praise you for hearing me when I cried out to you about...

Father, thank you for redeeming me and restoring me when...

Response
God, because you know what we should do, guide me in your paths when...

Father, because you are a place of refuge and safety, help me to seek your protection in/when...

Requests
Lord God, give protection to [...] for [...], so that he/she will come to know you as their Protector and turn to you...

Father, rescue [...] from [...] so that they will turn to you as their Great Rescuer...

​Readiness
Father God, as I prepare for the week ahead, help me to remember your mercy and be merciful in...

Father, help me to desire relationship with you above all else, especially...

​Praiseworthy Characteristics and Attributes of God
This psalm reveals many reasons for us to praise and worship God.

• God is the Creator
• God is the Provider of help
• He watches and protects
• He keeps us from harm
• He watches over us, both now and forevermore

Reverence
Lord God, as spring begins to bloom, I praise you as Creator, especially for...

Father God, thank you for providing help for me when...

Response
Lord, because you watch over me at all times, may I remember that in...

Father, protect me from harm in...

Requests
O Lord, may [...] be overwhelmed by the beauty of your creation and turn to you in faith...

Lord God, provide help for [...] so that he/she will turn to you as their Provider...

​Readiness
Lord God, because you watch over me, you have already prepared the way for me this week in... 

Lord, help me to walk in your way, confident that you are watching over me in...

​Psalm 95 is one of my favorite psalms, combining personal and meaningful worship of the Lord with admonition to hear his word and not harden our hearts.

Praiseworthy Characteristics and Attributes of God

• He is the Rock of our salvation (1)
• He is a Great God above all gods (3)
• He is a personal, engaged Creator (4-5)
• He made us and is our God (6-7)
• He is our Shepherd, watching over us (7)
• He warns us not to harden our hearts against him (7-11)

Reverence
Lord, I praise you for being my Rock, which I experienced when...

Lord, I praise you for warning me by your word when...

Response
Lord, because you warn me by your word, help me to find direction in your word about...

Lord, because your creation testifies to you, may I learn to better worship you in the beauty of...

Requests
Lord, may [...] hear your words of warning and turn to you...

Lord, may [...] see the beauty of your creation and be reminded of your goodness during...

​Readiness
Lord, remind me to turn to you as my Shepherd this week during/in/when...

Lord, because you have the words of life, may I find direction from you this week in...

These are the prayer prompts we used for evening prayer this week.

​Monday, June 29 - Psalm 119:1-8

• Father, I praise you for being righteous and giving us a path of righteousness in your word that…
• Lord, help me to understand your word and be guided by it in…
• God, by your power, may we walk in blamelessness when…

Tuesday, June 30 - Psalm 119:9-16

• Lord God, I praise you for the riches that are in your word that help me in…
• Father, keep us on the path of purity rather than the path of…
• Lord, embolden our meditation on your word so that…

Wednesday, July 1 - Psalm 119:17-24

• Father, I thank you for the wonderful things in your word that guided me when…
• Lord, help me to focus on obeying your word and not on the scorn of others…
• God, may we be counseled by your commands so that...

Thursday, July 2 - Psalm 119:25-32

• Father, I praise you for strengthening and preserving me when…
• Lord, when I am weary, help me to turn to you and your word so that…
• God, help me to hold strong to your word instead of…

Friday, July 3 - Psalm 119:33-40

• Lord God, I thank you for teaching me your ways when…
• Father, turn me away from the worthless things of…
• God, direct me and give me guidance in...