Single lesson
Psalm 67: May God Cause His Face to Shine upon Us
Psalms 67:1–7
Psalm 67 is a short prayer-song that asks God to be merciful to us and bless us, so that his way may be known on earth and his salvation among all nations.
Before you teach
Across seven verses, this psalm begins with a shared prayer for mercy, blessing and God’s shining face. It then repeats a call for all peoples to praise God, gives a reason for the nations’ joy in his equitable rule, and ends with blessing, fruitfulness and worldwide fear of God.
Students will identify the shared ‘us’ prayer voice, trace the psalm’s movement, and explain that God’s blessing is linked with worldwide praise, joy and reverence.
Welcome: Listen for the shared prayer
4 minTell the children that Psalm 67 is spoken to God as a prayer. Read the whole psalm aloud once. Ask them to listen for repeated words like bless, praise and peoples, and also to notice whether the prayer says I, you or us. Explain that this helps us identify the voice of the psalm.
Psalms 67:1, Psalms 67:3, Psalms 67:5
Read and explain: ‘Us’ and God’s shining face
7 minRead verses 1 and 2 again. Point out that the prayer says us, so the psalm speaks in a shared prayer voice, not just for one person. Explain that ‘cause his face to shine on us’ belongs with the same request for God to be merciful to us and bless us. Then show the purpose: God’s way on earth and his salvation among all nations.
Psalms 67:1, Psalms 67:2
Discuss: Peoples praising and nations rejoicing
7 minRead verses 3 to 5. Help the children hear the repeated line, ‘Let all the peoples praise you’. Then focus on verse 4. The nations are called to be glad and sing for joy because God judges the peoples with equity and governs the nations on earth. This joins praise, joy and God’s fair rule.
Psalms 67:3, Psalms 67:4, Psalms 67:5
Make and respond: An illustrated prayer card
8 minChildren make a simple card with one line from the psalm and a matching drawing. Encourage them to choose from the shining face image, the peoples praising, the glad nations, or the earth yielding its increase. After drawing, each child reads the chosen line aloud and briefly tells how it fits the psalm.
Psalms 67:1, Psalms 67:4, Psalms 67:6
Closing: Trace the psalm’s movement
4 minReview the order together: a prayer for mercy and blessing, God’s way known on earth, peoples praising, nations rejoicing under God’s equitable rule, then the earth’s increase, blessing and all the ends of the earth fearing him. Finish by reading verse 7 together as the psalm’s closing line.
Psalms 67:1, Psalms 67:2, Psalms 67:4, Psalms 67:6, Psalms 67:7
Questions to explore
In verses 1 and 2, what word shows who is speaking in this prayer?
Guide children to notice the word ‘us’ and explain that the psalm speaks with a shared prayer voice asking God for mercy and blessing.
Psalms 67:1, Psalms 67:2
What line is repeated in this psalm, and why does that repetition matter?
Help them notice that the repeated call for all peoples to praise God shows that praise is one of the psalm’s main themes.
Psalms 67:3, Psalms 67:5
According to verse 4, why can the nations be glad and sing for joy?
Point children to the verse itself: God judges the peoples with equity and governs the nations on earth.
Psalms 67:4
Make, think or respond
Illustrated Psalm Prayer Card
What you’ll need
- paper or card
- pencils
- coloured pencils or markers
- Bible
Try it together
- Read Psalm 67:1-7 together and let each child choose one verse or line to feature.
- Fold a piece of paper or card in half and write the chosen words neatly on the front.
- Draw a picture that matches the words, such as shining light, many peoples praising, glad nations, or the earth yielding its increase.
- Invite each child to show their card and read the line aloud to the group.
The cards help children notice the psalm’s prayer voice, images and repeated ideas of blessing, praise, joy and God’s rule.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, offer three pre-selected lines to choose from and let them respond mostly with drawing and a few spoken words.
- For older children, ask them to explain how the psalm moves from a prayer for ‘us’ to a hope for ‘all nations’ and ‘all the ends of the earth’.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: ‘God, please be merciful to us and bless us. Help us praise you with joy and remember that your way is for all the earth. Amen.’
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Psalms 67
1 May God be merciful to us, bless us, and cause his face to shine on us. Selah.
2 That your way may be known on earth, and your salvation among all nations,
3 let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.
4 Oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you will judge the peoples with equity, and govern the nations on earth. Selah.
5 Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has yielded its increase. God, even our own God, will bless us.
7 God will bless us. All the ends of the earth shall fear him.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.