What does it mean to “consider the poor”?  (41:1)  What are some practical ways that we can be doing that today?  How can you personally be growing to embody this more?

What promises (or general maxims) does David say that God has for those who generously consider the poor?  (41:1-3)  What are some ways that we might see (or that you have seen) these maxims hold true?

What requests does David bring to God in prayer?  (41:4-10)  Why do you think he is careful emphasize these things?

It appears that David was experiencing intense persecution from his enemies.  (41:5-8)  Is persecution something that we should expect as a normal part of our lives as Christians today?  Why or why not?  (John 15:18-20)  How should we deal with persecution when we experience it?

It appears that David was experiencing betrayal from people who were close to him.  (41:9)  How should we handle betrayal when we experience it in our lives?

David’s prayer in this psalm is marked by transparency, and vulnerability, and honesty.  (41:4-10)  And by trust, and confidence in God’s grace.  (4:11-12)  How can we work to cultivate both of those characteristics (brutal honesty, ruthless trust) in our prayer lives?

How can we see the psalm pointing beyond itself, to the person and work of Christ?  How can we see allusions to Jesus’s life (41:1-3)?  To his death (41:5-9)?  To his resurrection and eternal reign (41:10-12)?

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