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?)

The prayers of the Psalms teach us to pray. They put words of revelation on the tip of our tongue to give us confidence in what we are expressing. They form a foundational understanding of the essence and ways of God for us to build our prayers upon. They give us a jumpstart when we are uncertain how to get going or simply don’t have the motivation. In a time of pain and need? Let a lament be your guide. Want to express some honor to the Creator? There are praises galore. Is there some sin gnawing at you? Try one of the Psalms of repentance. Has Christ come into view? Use one that speaks of the Messiah.

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.