This past year I have grown in appreciation for the Psalms. There were days when I could not find the words to pray, and I turned to a Psalm and let those words be my prayer. There are different kinds of Psalms to serve as prayers for pretty much any kind of experience you face. Lets look at three examples.

Psalm 5 is a prayer of lament. “Give ear to my words, O Lord; give heed to my sighing. Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.”

Psalm 8 is a prayer of praise for God’s holiness. “O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth. You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger.”

Psalm 46 is a prayer of trust. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.”

Psalms are meant to be prayed and experienced. Avoid the temptation to study and analyze them like a lesson in a textbook. Pray the words. Meditate on the images. Treasure the Psalms.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Joel