Psalm 78 Prayer Guide 

Try entering into prayer with this three-part rhythm: Part 1 Become present to the presence of God: I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. (Psalm 9:1 ESV). Pause in silence before God. Practice breathing slowly and deeply. As you inhale, invite the Holy Spirit to fill every part of your being- your body, mind, imagination, affections and emotions. As you exhale, release any burdens you are carrying into this time of prayer. Repeat this breathing prayer until you have brought your whole self -‘as is’ -before the presence of God. Optional prayer of approach: “Father, grant me a sanctified memory to recall the things you have done in the midst of human history… May I, with holy hindsight, be one with all the saints before me, as I tell your story again and again- that godly wisdom be passed down, generation to generation. Like all wayward saints before me, I have wandered in desolate places, choosing lostness over foundness, drifting over belonging. Have mercy on me, O Lord.” (Endless Grace, by Ryan Whitaker Smith and Dan Wilt: Psalm 78) Part 2 Read selections from Psalm 78: (for an audio version click here) 1-4 (The Message) Listen, dear friends, to God’s truth, bend your ears to what I tell you. I’m chewing on the morsel of a proverb; I’ll let you in on the sweet old truths, Stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother’s knee. We’re not keeping this to ourselves, we’re passing it along to the next generation— God’s fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done. 5-8 He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly in Israel, Then commanded our parents to teach it to their children So the next generation would know, and all the generations to come— Know the truth and tell the stories so their children can trust in God, Never forget the works of God but keep his commands to the letter. Heaven forbid they should be like their parents, bullheaded and bad, A fickle and faithless bunch who never stayed true to God. 9-16 The Ephraimites, armed to the teeth, ran off when the battle began. They were cowards to God’s Covenant, refused to walk by his Word. They forgot what he had done— marvels he’d done right before their eyes. He performed miracles in plain sight of their parents in Egypt, out on the fields of Zoan. He split the Sea and they walked right through it; he piled the waters to the right and the left. He led them by day with a cloud, led them all the night long with a fiery torch. He split rocks in the wilderness, gave them all they could drink from underground springs; He made creeks flow out from sheer rock, and water pour out like a river. 17-20 All they did was sin even more, rebel in the desert against the High God. They tried to get their own way with God, clamored for favors, for special attention. They whined like spoiled children, “Why can’t God give us a decent meal in this desert? Sure, he struck the rock and the water flowed, creeks cascaded from the rock. But how about some fresh-baked bread? How about a nice cut of meat?” 21-31 When God heard that, he was furious— his anger flared against Jacob, he lost his temper with Israel. It was clear they didn’t believe God, had no intention of trusting in his help. But God helped them anyway, commanded the clouds and gave orders that opened the gates of heaven. He rained down showers of manna to eat, he gave them the Bread of Heaven… They ate and had their fill; he handed them everything they craved on a platter. But their greed knew no bounds; they stuffed their mouths with more and more. Finally, God was fed up, his anger erupted— he cut down their brightest and best, he laid low Israel’s finest young men. 32-37 And—can you believe it?—they kept right on sinning; all those wonders and they still wouldn’t believe! So their lives wasted away to nothing— nothing to show for their lives but a ghost town. When he cut them down, they came running for help; they turned and pled for mercy…. … 40-42 How often in the desert they had spurned him, tried his patience in those wilderness years. Time and again they pushed him to the limit, provoked Israel’s Holy God. How quickly they forgot what he’d done, forgot their day of rescue from the enemy,… … 54-55 He brought them into his holy land, this mountain he claimed for his own. He scattered everyone who got in their way; he staked out an inheritance for them— the tribes of Israel all had their own places. 56-59 But they kept on giving him a hard time, rebelled against God, the High God, refused to do anything he told them. They were worse, if that’s possible, than their parents: traitors—crooked as a corkscrew. Their pagan orgies provoked God’s anger, their obscene idolatries broke his heart… Part 3 Use your own words to pray Psalm 78 back to God: “Lord God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit- I praise you, for you are… “When I recount your work among your people, and your work in my life, I want to thank you for… “… I lament…. “… I confess… The psalms were originally written as lyrics, as prayers set to music. Throughout the history of Israel and the church, the people of God have sung the psalms. Song invites us to internalize the Word of God with the whole self- body, mind, imagination, emotions and affections. Take time to listen to a version of Psalm 78 set to music. Try taking the psalm song with you into your day. from Wasilla Bible Church Psalms Project. by Joel Stamoolis and Dave Rector. wasillabible.org/psalms-project.