F-260 Psalm 51 David’s Prayer for Pardon What character traits are most valued among your coworkers? What are some Christian characteristics that our culture looks down upon? What Christian traits do you think are the most difficult to cultivate because of pressure from your non-Christian friends? What attributes did the poet ascribe to God in this psalm? (51:1) Why was the psalm writer able to ask for forgiveness from God? (51:1) What common experience does this psalm typify? (51:1-19) What was the psalm writer’s attitude toward his sin? (51:3-5) What main picture of forgiveness is highlighted in this psalm? (51:2, 7, 9) What does the picture of forgiveness used in this poem reflect about the psalm writer’s attitude? (51:2, 7, 9) To what do the “inner parts” and “inmost place” refer? (51:6) Where does God desire truth? (51:6) What did the author of this psalm desire? (51:10-12) How would the psalm writer’s own experience of God’s forgiveness affect others? (51:13) What did the psalm writer expect to be the outcome of God’s forgiveness? (51:13-15) What does God not require of His people? (51:16) What does the Lord want from His people? (51:17) How does the prayer for Jerusalem serve as a fitting conclusion for this psalm? (51:18-19) What does this poem tell us about God’s character? How should we respond to our sin and God’s forgiveness? What do you think it means to have a broken and contrite heart? How do you need to change your own attitude toward your sin and God’s gift of forgiveness to you? What should we do in response to God’s forgiveness? How can you teach God’s ways to others? With whom can you share your experience of God’s forgiveness? In what ways would you like your desires to match those of the psalm writer’s in this poem? If you have lost the joy of your salvation, what can you do to regain it again? What can you do to cultivate a broken and contrite heart before God? What do you need to do about confessing sin? Who is one person you can make a conscious effort to teach God’s ways over the next month?