The Book of Common Psalms
The Psalms were not only the songbook of Israel but are also a centuries old prayer book. (That is where I was headed with the last post, but it took on a life of its own. It was as if it were saying, “No, no, you can’t go there yet, write about the honest sharing of David first.” So what could I do but comply?)
As people who love the Scriptures (and we do) our habit is to talk about God, to debate about Him and even to defend Him. All the while neglecting the profound depths of talking with Him. Praying the Psalms requires that we deal with God. It provides us with a guide to interact in honesty and thoroughness, accuracy and emotion, humility and intimacy.
There certainly isn’t a formula for praying the Psalms, but there are different ways to use them. For instance you may simply want to read through a passage and use the big idea or a specific phrase that settles in your mind. Or you can also use the exact words of a Psalm. I remember hearing a friend pray a passage once as he changed the pronouns (he, his, him) to the personal pronoun (you). It seemed so personal, powerful, and profound. Or you can pray exact phrases then expand on them before coming back for another phrase. The key of course is not the method you choose but just to give praying the Psalms a try.
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