July 17, 2022

Ridgeline Study Prompts

Psalms 42 and 43

Prayer and Preparation

Developing deep relationship with others takes time. It can’t be rushed. It’s the same in our relationship with
God. Our intentional time spent studying, praying, memorizing, and dwelling on God’s word deepens our
relationship with Him. Enjoy getting to know God, and over time, watch your soul begin to long for Him. Spend
a few minutes praying for God to use this time in His Word to grow your bond with Him.

Study

In your own words, describe the mental/emotional state of the psalmist in Psalm 42:1-3?

The ESV Study Bible says, “Psalms 42-43 go well together as a song with three stanzas: they share a refrain (42:5, 11, 43:5).” In this refrain, the psalmist is preaching to himself. What is he saying, and why is he doing so?

Psalm 43 seems to provide hope to the author. What brings hope to the desperate psalmist in this short poem?

Application
How are you at preaching the Gospel to yourself? If you do well at it, how has it helped you in your moments
of desperation? If you aren’t good at preaching the Gospel to yourself, what steps can you take to grow in this
area? [We are going to ask a few of you to share your answers on Sunday. Please pray about blessing the rest
of us by sharing.]

Is there a particular aspect of your life that you should be preaching God’s truth to yourself right now? If this
isn’t something you are comfortable sharing in a large group, please share and pray with a friend.