Welcome back to the Psalter!
This past Sunday, Pastor Dan led us into the Book of Psalms as he preached from Psalm 43. This Sunday, Lord willing, our brother Ricky will guide us through Psalm 44. I encourage you to spend time meditating on the Psalmist’s words, which recall God's faithful acts from the past, His apparent absence in the present without reason, and the hope for Him to act in the future. We also plan to sing this Psalm as the church has done throughout its history, using God’s words in the form of psalmic prayer. Check out this tool to help sing the Psalms!
Tomorrow, we begin our journey of walking the “ancient path of psalmic prayer” by praying the Psalter throughout August. The historic spiritual practice of praying the psalms involves taking the words our good Father has given us and speaking them back to Him in prayer. Join us in praying all 150 Psalms over the next 31 days starting tomorrow! I look forward to hearing how, as we join believers across the centuries, our lives are shaped by praying the Psalter together as a community. I wouldn’t be surprised if, for many of us, this month of praying the Psalms ignites a season of regular Psalter prayer for the rest of our lives.
Let me remind you of what I shared last week.
Why Pray the Entire Book of Psalms?
Why would someone pray through the entire book of Psalms with the consistent regularity that God’s people have shown for centuries? One reason is that the Psalms teach us how to pray in every season and through the full range of emotions God’s people experience. In the Psalms, we encounter moments of joy and times of lament. We join the psalmists in giving thanks and crying out, “How long?” We learn to speak to our souls: to hope in the Lord and seek refuge in Him—especially when hope feels like the hardest thing we can do.
We also learn not just to find the right psalm that matches our feelings, but to pray all kinds of psalms, no matter how we feel. This is good for us. The Psalms expand our prayer life, shape our desires, and teach us to trust in God’s character instead of just reacting to our circumstances.
Another reason to pray the Psalter: “We can speak words to God that He has been listening to for thousands of years.” When was the last time you struggled to find the words to pray? The Psalms provide us with a vocabulary of faith—a way to speak to our Father when our own words feel small or insufficient.
And finally, the most vital reason for our discipleship: Jesus had the Psalms on His lips. Repeatedly, He quoted them. He prayed them. Even on the cross, He cried out in the words of the Psalms. One of the best ways to become like Jesus in prayer is to become familiar with the Psalms as He was.
So, how are we going to do this?
Starting August 1, here are three options:
1. Pray 5 Psalms a day. The 31 days in August work well—especially with a long psalm like Psalm 119 in the mix.
2. Use a 30-day morning and evening schedule.
3. Use a 30-day morning, midway, and evening schedule.
4. Create your own plan—whatever helps you stay in the Psalms consistently.
How Do We Pray the Psalms?
1. Pray the psalm as written — Read the psalm aloud, word for word, as your prayer to God. Let its words become your own.
2. Pray reflectively — Read a verse or phrase slowly. Pause. Then respond to God with your own short prayer or reflection.
3. Pray responsively — Pray with someone else or a group by taking turns—one person reads a verse, and others echo, respond, or pray a related request or praise.
4. Pray with a theme in mind — As you read, look for a specific theme: trust, repentance, joy, justice, etc. Let that theme guide your response to God.
I’m excited to pray the Psalms with you, Jubilee! May the Psalms shape our hearts, words, and worship, and may they stir us up in our deep desire to be a praying church!
Pastor Lew