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Praise for God's Mercy
Read Psalm 103:6-11
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy” (v. 8).
A. B. Simpson wrote: “The mercy of God is an ocean divine . . .” and then urges us to “launch out into the deep.” God not only has mercy, He is Mercy. While there are times that He must reprove, when His anger is like the lightning that flashes, His mercy is as the sunshine, warm, personal, generous.
The psalmist portrays three dimensions of God’s mercy — ”as the heaven is high above the earth . . . as far as the east is from the west
. . . from everlasting to everlasting.” None of it is merited, but God’s character overflows with grace and mercy.
God’s mercy evokes heartfelt praise from His people. Right now, offer a prayer of praise to God for His mercy. “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” (Leonard L. Sankey)
“Oh, let us be lost in the mercy of God, Till the depths of His fulness we know” (A. B. Simpson).
A Prayer of Praise
Focus Text: 2 Samuel 7:18-29
Central Truth: Prayer should include praise to God for who He is.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify ways in which praise may be shown to God.
Lesson Outline:
I. Praise for the Knowledge of God (2 Sam. 7:18-21)
II. Praise for the Greatness of God (2 Sam. 7:22-24)
III. Praise for the Character of God (2 Sam. 7:25-29)
A Prayer for the Absent
Heavenly Father, I come to you again asking for your blessing upon our class. I pray especially now for those who were absent from class this past weekend.
I pray for (list each absentee student by name) who missed class this week because (list the reason each student missed, if known).
Father, some of these who missed class this past Sunday could not avoid it because of sickness. We pray for healing for them. Encourage them in their walk with you. Help them, even though they had to miss, to study their lesson and hear your Holy Spirit’s encouraging voice.
Some of our absentees are out of the area for various reasons — work, vacation, etc. Go with each one wherever they are. Keep them safe. Help them to worship you, even though they are out of their regular routine. Bring them back to us, encouraged in their faith, and on fire for God.
Some who missed did not come because the things of this world are more enticing to them than your Word. Father, speak to them about their spiritual condition. Help them to see how their love for you is cooling. Convict them of this sin and reignite in them a passion for you, we pray. Amen.
God Our Salvation
Read Psalm 37:34-40
“But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble” (v. 39).
We typically use salvation to refer to forgiveness of sins and, relatedly, to deliverance from eternal condemnation. So we talk about being saved, and we look forward to everlasting life. Clearly Psalm 37’s proclamation of God’s salvation of the righteous includes these wonderful benefits.
But the bulk of Psalm 37 focuses on this earthly life and salvation’s benefits for the “here and now.” Repeatedly the psalmist tells us to “fret not” about wicked people’s success, not to indulge anger at their prosperity. Why should this apparent cosmic injustice not rile us? Psalm 37 reminds us of coming judgment (vs. 2, 9, 10, 13, etc.), but it also teaches us that righteousness works!
Psalm 37 presents some of salvation’s present-tense aspects. God provides for physical needs (vs. 3, 19, 25, etc.) and frequently brings to reality our godly dreams and desires (vs. 4, 5). He causes us to live in peace and security (vs. 9-11). This does not mean no Christian will suffer hardship and deprivation but describes a general pattern of blessing and provision even in this fallen world. God’s salvation regularly includes abundant daily blessings.
We begin to taste the joys of God’s saving us now. And the best lies ahead when the Judge of all the earth welcomes the righteous into His presence forever, where there are pleasures forevermore. (Aaron D. Profitt)
God’s salvation of the righteous begins now and ends never!
A Prayer of Hope
Focus Text: Psalms 71:1-5; 130:1-8
Central Truth: God’s merciful nature extends help to those who seek Him.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify ways in which God shows His mercy to man.
Lesson Outline:
I. Trusting in God (Ps. 71:1-5)
II. The Sinner's Cry (Ps. 130:1-3)
III. The Hope for Forgiveness (Ps. 130:4-6)
IV. The Mercy of God (Ps. 130:7, 8)
A Prayer for Visitors
Heavenly Father, I pray today for those who visited our class this past Sunday, and those who will come this next weekend.
Some of our visitors are Christians from out of the area who have come here for different reasons. Encourage them in the faith. Help them to feel welcome in our church, even though their visit may be brief. Work through them to encourage our class, that we might see in a new way how you are working around the world to build your Church.
Other visitors are not Christians. We pray that their time in our Sunday school class will be enjoyable and profitable. We know that many of our traditions have become so ingrained in us that we do not even recognize how confusing they are to outsiders. Help us to know how best to ease new people into our religious patterns.
Help each visitor to our class to feel welcomed but not suffocated, accepted rather than isolated, and challenged instead of bored. Help our class to prepare ahead of time for guests so that we will welcome them appropriately when they come.
In Jesus’ name we ask all this. Amen.