Bible Study Notes 9/9/2025

WORD ALIVE! BIBLE STUDY ^©2025

Journey in the Psalms: Prayer, Praise and Promise

Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton – Conley Hughes, Jr., Senior Pastor

Quiet Time: Tracy M. Summer, Psalms: An All-In-One Study on God’s Song Book

Lesson 20

9 Sept.  2025

Lesson 20, Psalm 84:1-12, NLT:  A person’s persistent desire to be close to God, is a sign of the spiritual urgency we have. Our longing to be with God rekindles the devotion we have for Him. This psalm was written by someone who was accustomed to worshiping in the Temple if Jerusalem, and for reasons not mentioned had become temporarily distanced from that sacred space. It may have been during the time of some military surge, a foreign force had invaded Jerusalem and restricted access to the temple, which was the central place of worship. The unknown devotee of worship, “longs” to return to that sacred place. The gathering of God’s people is as important today as it was in ancient times. There is a deep sense of renewal, affirmation, and peace that comes in being with and among other followers of God. Being present in th House of the Lord in ancient times as is now, was an acknowledgment of being in the presence of God. Coming before the Lord required being honest and transparent about our sins and needs. All who come before the Lord must “have clean hands and a pure heart” is the way David describes acceptable worship (Psalm 24:4, KJV). There is likely a national crisis in Israel, so the psalmist prays that God will “look upon with favor the king,” – presumably that the national leader will have discernment in leading the people through the crisis. A single day in the Lord’s House is better than a lifetime away from God’s love and protection.

Verses & Explanations for Psalm 84:1-12, NLT

Observe         Interpret     Apply

(Verses 1-2) – Desiring closeness with God.

(Verses 3-4) – Inner peace and blessings in God’s House.

(Verses 5-7) – Finding strength in the Lord.

(Verses 8-9) – Pursuing God’s attention.  

(Verses 10-12) – Extoling the greatness of God.

The Key Idea:

What We Believe!

“Your word is a lamp to my feet  and a light to my path!” – Psalm 119:105

Key Verses:

Psalm 84:1-12, NLT

¹ “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ² I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.  ³ Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!  ⁴ What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises.  Interlude   ⁵ What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.  ⁶ When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.

⁷ They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem. ⁸ O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer. listen, O God of Jacob. Interlude ⁹ O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield! Show favor in the one you have anointed.

¹⁰ A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. ¹¹ For the Lord God is our sun and shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. ¹² O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.”  

Further Helpful Verses:

1 Chronicles 29:11, NKJV

¹¹ “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty for all that is in heaven and on the earth. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.”

Psalm 73:25, NKJV

²⁵ “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none on earth that I desire besides You.”