Generation of Destiny Children Pray

Beholding the Beauty
Through Prayer While Reading the Bible
We can pray from the Bible; by spending time reading the Bible with a feeling of "I love you Jesus" in our hearts - as if Jesus were sitting beside you in all of His glory and together you were reading His story.

This is looking at Jesus - the Living Word, by spending time in the Bible - the Written Word. Both are the eternal (which means "forever") Word of God.

This turns simple reading of Bible verses into conversation and loving friendship with Jesus.

Encounter: To touch, to notice, to come across, to experience, to catch a glimpse of

Gaze: to eyeball, to comtemplate, prolonged looking
Stare at: with amazement, open eyed, to watch with fascination
See: to see clearly, to want to see, to view, to choose to see
Look at: understand, observe, watch, witness, consider
Meet: to be introduced to, to come face to face with, to get to know

Above are different ways we could define the word "behold". What does it really mean to behold the beauty of the Lord? Look at all the possibilities!

 Look at each word and phrase above. Think about it. Use it as you pray, like this: "Lord Jesus I want to touch Your Beauty" and "Lord Jesus I want to contemplate Your Beauty" and "Lord Jesus I want to stare at Your Beauty". Ask your parents or prayer group leader to do this with you. You can't do it all in one day. Rather do a little each day for many days.

What does it mean to dwell? "Thats easy" you say, "to dwell means 'to live'". So David wanted TO LIVE in the House of the Lord. Why did David want to live there and not just visit?

The House of the Lord

Look up Isaiah 56:7 & Matthew 21:13

In the 2 Bible verses, you will find the answer to this question: What is the House of the Lord? Why do you think David wanted to be in the House of Prayer so much that he had this desire more than all others? What did David know about the House of the Lord that you and I might not know? Why do you think this verse is in the Bible? (choose one answer) a) because its interesting b) to encourage us to desire to dwell in the House of Prayer c) to just teach us about David; it has nothing to do with us.

What do you think the House of the Lord, the House of Prayer looks like? Draw it. Sculpt it. Describe it with words, by making a word collage, or writing a poem. Ask God to give you a dream about His House of Prayer.

I Have Desired - I Will Seek

One thing I have desired - that is what I will seek after

Look up these Two Words in the Dictionary

What does the word "desire" mean?  What does the word "seek" mean?  Try finding 3 other words that have a similar meaning as the word "desire" and 3 other words that have a similar meaning as the word "seek".

Answer these questions:

• Who did David desire this One Thing from?
• Do you understand what it feels like to desire?  What does it feel like?
  
• Did King David just sit back and wait for God to do something or did David do something?
• When David said, "I will seek this One Thing, how do you think he did it?  Give 2 ways:
  

One Thing

King David Prayed in Psalm 27:4: "One thing I have desired of the Lord. That one thing I will seek. That I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life" - Why? "To behold the beauty of the Lord". 

How many things did David desire from the Lord? How many things do YOU desire from the Lord? David was a human being and must have needed other things; in fact the Bible tells us that he had lots of troubles. So WHY did King David say that He was asking God for this One Thing, above all other things?

How important is this One Thing to us? What is there in this One desire David had above all others, that needs to touch our hearts?