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Psalm FIFTY ONE

 PSALMS [Praying our sin] 

Psalm 51_ 

 
Alongside the fact that God made us good (that we explored in Psalm 8) is the equally basic fact that we have gone wrong. We ‘pray our sins’ to get to the truth about ourselves and to find out how God treats sinners. Our experience of sin doesn’t consist in doing some bad things, but in being bad. It’s a fundamental condition of our existence, not a temporary lapse into error. ‘Praying our sin’ isn’t resolving not to sin anymore; it’s discovering what God has resolved to do with us as sinners... 

 

[Discussion starter] “Sin” has become an unpopular and little-used word in our culture. Why do you think this is? 

 

[Read Psalm 51] 

 

How many different synonyms for sin are in David’s prayer? 

 

 

How do we describe what we dislike about ourselves? 

What does this tell us about the nature of sin? 

 

 

As Christians, we know we are sinful. 
Why then is it so painful to be confronted with a specific sin? 

 

 

[Activity] What is God asked to do about sin? (Count and name the verbs) 

 

 

If verse 5 is true, if I have been a sinner from birth, sin must be something more than doing wrong things. What else could this be? 

 

 

Verses 1-9 reveal a heightened awareness of sin. 
What do they make you aware of? 

 
 

Verse 10 is the centre verse. 
How does it centre the prayer? 

 

 

What parallels does “create” here have with Genesis 1:1? 

 

 

Forgiveness is an internal action with external consequences. What are some of them (verses 13-17)? 

 

 

In verse 17, what do you understand a “broken and contrite heart” to be? 

What is your experience of this condition? 

 

 

According to verses 18-19, what is the relationship between personal forgiveness and social righteousness? 

 

 

Psalm 51 makes us aware of how sinful we are, and it makes us less actively sinful. 
How do you see it working that way in you?  

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