Praying the Psalms
The Psalms were the first Prayer-book of the church and Praying the Psalms has been an ancient practice by many early Christians. The Psalms are Spirit-inspired words, given to us not only to know God but to speak to Him about Him. Consistently, praying the Psalms allows us to come before God honestly, they lead us to engage our emotions and help us be authentic and transparent before God. John Calvin said the Psalms are “the anatomy of all the parts of the soul. And that there is no human emotion that anyone finds himself whose image is not reflected in this mirror. The Psalms give us the template many of us need to guide us as we connect and worship God through prayer.
Two ways to pray the Psalms:
Make the Psalm’s words your words. Augustine of Hippe said, “If the psalm prays, you pray. If the psalm laments, you lament. If the psalm exalts, you rejoice. If it hopes, you hope. If it fears, you fear. Everything written here is a mirror for us.” As you pray the Psalms, you will learn how to pray through many of your life situations whether you are in a season of joy or a season of sorrow.
Meditate on the Psalms. As you are praying the Psalms if anything sticks out to you pause and reflect. Give God time to show you more about who He is and what He wants to do in your life. Write down some of the things you are learning. The goal of meditating is not to empty yourself but engage yourself with the living God through His words. As you slow down let the words pour over your mind and heart, take them in and find the deeper meaning that is in the words.