Confirmation Lesson
Psalms for Help & Trust
Opening Prayer
From Psalm 25:1-6, 10
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame;
Do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
For you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
For they have been from of old.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
For those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
Amen.
When You Pray
After yelling at God and saying that he could do it better, Bruce Nolan (played by Jim Carey) is given all of God’s powers while God (played by Morgan Freeman) takes a vacation. Instead of bringing happiness, this new role pulls him away from his girlfriend, Grace (played by Jennifer Anisten). When Bruce sees, hears, and feels Grace’s prayers that come from the depths of her heart, he is moved to call upon God for help. God wants us to pray prayers that come from the depths of our hearts—not just our surface hopes, but our heart’s deepest desires.
• What do you pray for most often?
• Do you feel your prayers are heard? Why or why not?
• When do you most often pray? Why?
Psalm 22
Lament of an Individual

The individual lament psalm is the most common type of psalm in the Bible. These psalms follow a predictable pattern:
  1. a cry to the Lord for help,
  2. an explanation of the psalmist’s dire situation,
  3. reasons the Lord should get involved and help,
  4. and praise for the Lord because the psalmist is sure the prayer has been heard.

Can you see how those are presented in Psalm 22?
Psalm 74

Psalm 74 is an example of a community lament. This psalm challenges us to consider how we can make a plea to God as a community. 
Think about it...

• What do you think was happening “behind the scenes” in Psalm 22?
• What do you think was happening “behind the scenes” in Psalm 74?
• Is there a place in the world today where someone could write the same kind of psalm?
Where?

Think about the prayers of the people that are made on Sunday morning during the worship service.
  • What kinds of things does the congregation pray for?
  • How are the prayer concerns like the psalms you have read today?
Your Turn to Try!
Now it's time to write your own Psalm! Thinking about all the things we've learned in the past couple of weeks about the Psalms, take some time now to write your own Psalm - lament, a psalm of help and trust, a psalm of praise, etc.
Include a copy of your Psalm with your attendance makeup form.
Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, you can email Leisha at ltays@oursaviourslc.org