Praying The Psalms

“Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18-20, ESV)

Changing Gears

As I spent some time thinking about future blog posts, I decided I wanted to change gears a little. In previous posts, I’ve been focusing on things we can do and ways we can worship in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic. However, I’ve decided to do something different.

For the next while, I plan to write posts that work their way through the Psalms. I’m not going to take an entire Psalm at a time, but slowly work my way through a few verses at a time. We’ll start with Psalm 1 and keep going until I stop. 

Why The Psalms?

I decided to work through the Psalms for one important reason. The Psalms are the prayer book of the Bible. If we want to learn how to pray, we need to spend a lot of time in the Psalms. And, in the midst of this pandemic, we need to be praying. So, I thought would help facilitate our prayers by working our way through the prayerbook of the Bible. 

Psalms During Difficult Times

I don’t quite remember who it was, but someone once encouraged me to turn to the Psalms in the midst of difficult and trying situations. They said, “When things get tough, and you’re not sure what to do or where to turn, open the book of Psalms and start reading and praying.” 

I have to say that this advice has gotten me through some difficult times over the years. In the midst of family health issues or seasons of ministry when I wasn’t sure I could continue, I made it a habit to pray my way through at least on Psalm a day, sometimes more. Sometimes I would keep reading and praying through the Psalms until I found the peace of God sweep over me. This has been one of the best pieces of advice ever given to me. 

Praying During A Pandemic

In the midst of this current COVID-19 pandemic, many people find themselves in different situations and scenarios. Some have been affected very little so far. Other's entire lives have been turned upside down. Some have little anxiety or fear over this situation. Others are fearful and anxious about what the future holds. Either way, we need to be praying. The Psalms will help us do that. They lead us in praying for things we wouldn’t normally pray for, but need to pray for. So, turn to the Psalms and pray. 

Make Them Your Own

As I wrap up this post, I want to encourage you to make the Psalms your own. Praying though the Psalms doesn’t mean simply reading the words and directing them to God. It means reading the words, making them our own, then directing them to God. 

So, when you turn to Psalm 23 and read, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want;” you pray something like, “Lord, thank you for being my shepherd. Thank you for providing for all my needs. Thank you that I can trust you in the midst of this difficult situation. Thank you that I don’t have to live in fear or worry. Help me trust you more fully. Help me rely on you as my GOOD shepherd. Help me to fully trust that you will provide for my needs. Help my soul rest in this truth...” After you’ve prayed through that verse for a while, then go to the next verse. 

It is a powerful experience to allow God’s Word to guide your prayers and provide comfort for your soul. May God continue to stir our hearts to prayer during this time, and may the Psalms be our guide.