How To Pray When God Feels Silent
Small Group Studies
Small Group Studies
Over the weekend, we continued our Songs of the Summer series. Many of the Psalms were authored by King David, who very honestly cried out to God and expressed his emotions, whether he felt joy, angst, or despair. A number of these Psalms were intentionally set to music and sung. Our focus today is on Psalm 22, a Psalm in which David expressed His feelings of loneliness and even abandonment while still clinging to the truth that God was at work in his life.
1. Read Psalm 22:1-10. Describe the range of emotions David expresses in this passage of Scripture. Do you have a hard time approaching God with the same honesty as David? Why or why not?
Psalm 22:1-10
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? 2Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief. 3Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them. 5They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced. 6But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! 7Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, 8“Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!” 9Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast. 10I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born.
- What brought David comfort in his distress and why?
- Read Psalm 22:28-32. How does remembering who God is give us perspective amidst our despair?
Psalm 22:28-32
For royal power belongs to the Lord. He rules all the nations. 29Let the rich of the earth feast and worship. Bow before him, all who are mortal, all whose lives will end as dust. 30Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. 31His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done.
4. What is the impact of sharing our stories of what God has done, both in our lives and in the lives of others around us?
- Have you ever felt like David at the beginning of this Psalm? Why or why not?
- What is at stake if we choose not to be honest with God about how we are feeling?
- How can we respond when we feel similarly to David in Psalm 22 based on David’s example?
One way we can find hope amidst our struggles is by sharing our stories of what God has done in our lives with others and by hearing theirs. Break up into groups of three or four. Share with your group one or two ways you have seen God be faithful to you in the past year. After about 10 minutes, your group leader can end in prayer, thanking God for how He has been at work in each of your lives, in big and small ways. As a group, commit to remember His faithfulness each and every day.
We were reminded during the weekend message that David, the man who penned the words found in Psalm 22, was not just a king and former shepherd. He was also a prophet. You see, the words in Psalm 22 were prophetic. They point us to Jesus, true King over all kings, who, centuries after David wrote them, spoke the words found in Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have You abandoned me?” For the next few moments, take a look at how David’s words in this Psalm point us straight to our Savior and discuss what you learn with your group.
Jesus Experienced Feelings of Abandonment.
As Jesus was being crucified on the cross, He not only faced physical agony; He also faced emotional anguish. He expressed those words of anguish as He was being crucified on the cross, echoing the words of David, saying, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46). As He spoke these words, He was not only expressing His agony; He was also making a statement about Himself as He pointed everyone listening to these words first written by King David. David was an earthly king who is known for being a good king who honored God; Jesus is the King above all kings and, as some Bible scholars would say, “the true and (infinitely) better David.”
1. Read Matthew 27:45-50.
Matthew 27:45-50
At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 46At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” 47Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 48One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. 49But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.” 50Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit.
- Describe a time you felt abandoned. What was your experience?
- When you think about the agony Jesus endured on the cross, do you think more about His physical agony or emotional agony? Why?
- Why is remembering both Jesus’ physical and emotional agony important for us as we think about His sacrifice on the cross?
- How do Jesus’ words impact your understanding of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross?
Jesus Stopped at Nothing to Rescue Us, Even When It Meant Feeling Abandoned:
One of the questions for us to ask as we consider the words that Jesus uttered in Matthew 27:46 is “Why did He experience such feelings of abandonment?” After all, He did not have to subject Himself to such torture and agony. He knew, however, that it was necessary in order to rescue humanity from sin and death.
1. Read Isaiah 53:3-6, a Messianic prophecy penned by the prophet Isaiah centuries before Jesus was born.
Isaiah 53:3-6
He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. 4Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
- Does the description of Jesus in this passage of Scripture surprise you? Why or why not?
- Why was it necessary for Jesus to experience such feelings of abandonment? (Hint: See verse 6.)
- How does knowing that Jesus experienced deep feelings of grief and sorrow impact how you reflect on your relationship with Him?
We may feel abandoned at times, but we are never alone. You see, because Jesus took on the weight of the sins of the world and experienced feelings of abandonment by God, we will never be abandoned if we place our faith in Him. We can find comfort in knowing that we will never be left alone.
1. Read John 10:27-30 and Matthew 28:18-20, a passage of Scripture where Jesus spoke to His disciples just before He left earth and returned to heaven.
John 10:27-30
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 30The Father and I are one.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
- Why do you think so many people feel lonely at times?
- How does Jesus’ teaching in this passage of Scripture refute feelings of loneliness you may have?
- Who do you know who needs the hope of Christ, and how are you currently sharing your faith with them?
One way to combat loneliness and remember Christ’s presence is through service. Those in the group who are currently serving at Sagebrush, take a few minutes to share with your group how you are serving, and how serving in our church has impacted you. Encourage your group members who are not currently serving to join us in all that God is doing in and through our church by serving. If you have not found a place to serve, what area can you start serving in? Share that with your group, and commit to learning more about serving in one of our ministries at Sagebrush this week.
