Songs About God (part 4): "Where Are You?" Songs

TO START

As a kid, did you ever get lost, lose your parents in a store, get left behind accidentally? How'd it feel? Tell your small group the story. It’ll help you forgive your parents (and it’s cheaper than therapy).

 

SCRIPTURE READING

Read Psalm 10.

  • How does it make you feel?
  • Do you relate to the Psalmist at all?
  • Why do you think this is the Bible?

Consider the psalmist’s words:

“Why, Lord, do you stand far off?

   Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”

  • Have you ever wanted to pray these words to God?
  • Share a time when you wondered why God seemed so far off.
  • Did you turn to God during that time? If so, do you think that was a good choice? Why or why not? If you turned away from God, how did that go? What finally got you turned back?

 

DISCUSSION

On Sunday we said it’s important to bring our pain and questions to God for two reasons:

  1. He wants that because that’s how you have a relationship with someone.

  2. He wants it because he wants you to know him better.

How would bringing our doubts, sadness and confusion to God in prayer enable those two things? Have you seen those two things happen when you talk to God honestly in prayer? Explain.

Justin said on Sunday that it’s a good idea when you’re feeling far from God to make two lists: “Here’s what I don’t know” and “Here’s what I know.” Have you ever done something like this? What’s the value in mapping and categorizing your thoughts, feelings, and convictions?

Has this series inspired you to talk to God in a different way? Have you noticed any changes taking place in your prayer life? Have you tried writing a Psalm? Tell us about it.

 

PRAYER

Make a list of places, circumstances, relationships where it seems like God is far off. Make another list of things you know about God. Fill in this prayer (based on Psalm 10) with your lists:

Why, Lord, do you stand far off?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Times like these when ________________________ and ______________________ and

_______________ and ____________________ …

Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God.

Do not forget the helpless.

The Lord is King for ever and ever;

You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;

you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

You are _______________ and _________________ and ____________________ and_______________ ...

God, be close to us and hear our prayer.

 

WATCH

A spoken word “Where Are You?” psalm (and imagined answer) by Joseph Solomon: https://youtu.be/QeY8lndPsdE

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