Praying the Psalms
Psalm 130:1-2 “Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications.”
How to Pray the Psalms…
1. Read a psalm, and meditate on its meaning.
2. Perhaps write down a few notes about what is being said about God, His character, and His Works.
3. Slowly read a verse aloud and pray the things that verse brings to mind… for example…
- “The Lord is my shepherd”… Lord, thank you for being the Good Shepherd. Shepherd my life, shepherd the lives of my children. Guide our choices. Guide my church.
- “I shall not want”… Lord, thank you for meeting my needs. I know these people who are in want, would you please provide for him or her.
- “He makes me lie down in green pastures”… Lord, I struggle with being so busy, thank you giving me rest. Thank you for feeding me from your word. Please strengthen and bless my church Pastor as he teaches us the word of God.
- “He leads me beside still waters”… Lord, lead me in that decision I have to make about my future. Please quiet the anxious waters in my soul about this situation. I want to do your will. May the turbulence in my heart be stilled by trust in you and your sovereignty over all things.
4. You can continue praying this way until either you run out of time, or you run out of psalm!
5. You are taking the words of the Psalm, that originated in the mind of God, and you filter them through your experiences, back to God. In this way, the Psalms become a means to give voice to the aches our your heart that, normally, you are unable to express.
“The more deeply we grow in the psalms, and the more often we pray them as our own, the more simple and rich our prayer will become.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Some Helpful Links…
- Reference: Introduction to the Book of Psalms
- Graphic: The Bible Project Infographic
- Video: The Bible Project Animated Overview of the Psalms
- Video: HOW to Pray the Psalms with Pastor John Piper
- Article: 9Marks, WHY you should pray the Psalms by Donald S. Whitney
- Article: Getting Brutally Honest with God by Tremper Longman III
- Psalms set to music: PrayPsalms.org Playlist
- Psalms set to music: Brian Suave Psalms Playlist
Some Helpful Books…
- Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney
- The Songs of Jesus by Timothy Keller
- Praying with the Psalms by Eugene Peterson
- Psalm 1-72 Commentary by Derek Kidner
- Psalm 73-150 Commentary by Derek Kidner
Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting Messages…
- Week 1: Psalm 1 “His delight is in the law of the Lord“
- Week 2: Psalm 103 “Bless the Lord O my soul“
- Week 5: Psalm 72 “May He rule from from sea to sea“
- Week 6: Psalm 25 “I am lonely & afflicted“
- Week 7: Psalm 139 “You have encircled me“
- Week 8: Psalm 23 “You are with me“
- Week 9: Psalm 30 “forever will I give you thanks“
- Week 10: Psalm 63 “My soul thirsts for You“
- Week 11: Psalm 66 “what He has done for my soul“
- Week 12: Psalm 91 “My refuge and my fortress“
- Week 13: Memorizing Psalms
Keys to Memorizing the Psalms
- Memorize them PURPOSEFULLY
- Memorize PRAYERFULLY
- Memorize WHOLE Psalms
- A Method…
- 1) WRITE it out on paper
- 2) READ IT OUT LOAD multiple times per day
- 3) MARK it up… circle key words, make connections, notes, questions, etc
- 4) STUDY it… lookup questions, research, read a commentary etc.
- 5) LISTEN to it… play the audio of the Psalm (see YouVersion app)
- 6) REVIEW it… Bible memory app (by Millennial Apps)
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