Week 15 of 52
The Psalms in Prayer
A prayer book Israel prayed for centuries, and the church still prays.
Built on Psalm 5:1-3. Give ear to my words, Yahweh. Consider my meditation. In the morning, Yahweh, you shall hear my voice. This week learns to pray by praying the psalms themselves.
The Psalms are the only book of the Bible written mostly as prayer and song rather than as instruction addressed to us. They are Israel's own words to God, kept and sung for generations, and Jesus prayed them, quoted them from the cross, and sang them with his disciples on the night before he died.
This week takes seven psalms and reads each one as a pattern for praying: praise, confession, lament, trust in the dark, thanksgiving after deliverance, longing for God himself, and quiet contentment. None of these moods is set aside as unfit for prayer. Scripture gives words for all of them.
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Seven days
Each day is its own devotional
Day 1
The Heavens Declare
Praise begins by looking outward before it turns inward.
Psalm 19:1
Day 2
Have Mercy on Me
Confession is a form of prayer Scripture teaches, not just permits.
Psalm 51:1
Day 3
How Long, O Lord
The Bible gives words for prayer when God feels absent.
Psalm 13:1
Day 4
The Lord Is My Shepherd
Trust in the dark is stated, not merely felt.
Psalm 23:4
Day 5
Give Thanks to Yahweh
Thanksgiving after deliverance is a psalm of its own kind.
Psalm 30:5
Day 6
As the Deer Pants
Some prayers ask for nothing but God himself.
Psalm 42:1-2
Day 7
I Have Calmed My Soul
Prayer can end in quiet contentment, not only in resolution.
Psalm 131:2