The Heart God Desires

Praying through the Psalms

Psalm 51

1. THE FIRST STEP IN DEALING WITH OUR SIN IS (vs 1-2)

“Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer.” 

J. C. Ryle

2. CONFESSION BEGINS AT OUR (vs 3-5)

David’s Realizations in Confession:

1. 1. You can’t escape the sin

2. 2. You know who your sin has harmed

2. 3. You know sin is in your very nature

“Sweet shall be your rest if your heart does not reproach you.”

Thomas à Kempis

3. TRUE CONFESSION MAKES WAY FOR (vs 6-12)

“There is no death of sin without the death of Christ.”

John Owen

4. THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS BRINGS ABOUT THE (13-19) 

“The confession of evil works is the beginning of good works.”

Augustine of Hippo

Daily Meditations

Memory verse:  The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.

Psalm 51:17

Monday

Read Psalm 51. How would you define “repentance?” Do you think most people in our church think much about repentance?

How do you think most people in our city/culture see repentance? Do you see people get forgiven for past actions? Why or why not?

How do you know if repentance is real? What is the result of genuine repentance?

Tuesday

Read Psalm 51. Who is one person in your life that you think truly understands what it means to repent? What kinds of things characterize their life?

To what attributes of God does David stake his request for forgiveness? How had David experienced these characteristics of God before?

What does David mean in stating that it was only against God he had sinned, when others were clearly hurt (v. 4)?

Wednesday

Read Psalm 51 in a different translation or paraphrase.*

Which request of David’s do you identify with the most? Why?

In verse 13, how did forgiveness change the way that David saw other people?

Thursday

Read Psalm 51. What can you do today to take up a posture of faith and genuine repentance?

What fruit in your life can you directly relate to a time when you were genuinely repentant?

Friday 

Read Psalm 51. How could genuine repentance in our church impact our city? The world?

When was a time you felt God using an experience to “break” you down? What was that like?

If God already is fully aware of our sin, why do you think we still have trouble honestly confessing it?

Saturday

Finish any devotions you may have missed and then spend some time today reading over and working on memorizing this week’s memory verse and make a list of ten friends who don’t know Christ you can pray for.    

*Bible Study adapted from CH5 Psalm  51 Group Study

*Go to www.biblegateway.com or download the YouVersion app on your phone