Materials needed:
Copies of Psalm 103, index cards
Activity:
In his book Prayer, Richard Foster opens chapter eight, "Prayer of Adoration," with this statement: "Real prayer comes not from gritting our teeth but from falling in love."
We may think of love, especially falling in love, as something that happens to us, something we can't control. And yet, in many ways, love is a decision.
Our feelings toward God can be influenced by our decision to adore him. When we name the attributes of God and when we tell him how much we love him, our actions begin to change our hearts.
Love is paradoxical in nature: when we give love, we receive it. When we worship God, telling him how much we love him, that love is reflected back to us and multiplied.
As a group, worship God with prayers of adoration. Give each person a copy of Psalm 103 and a couple of index cards. Take turns reading Psalm 103 verse by verse. As the psalm is read, group members should listen for words about God's character and personality that stand out to them.
Give group members several minutes to reflect on the psalm. Then tell them to write down one or two attributes of God that they notice from the psalm on their index cards, one attribute per card.
Have group members share the attributes they've written on their cards. Close in prayer.
