Praying the Psalms

“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

PSALM 19:14 (NIV)

●  LOVE GOD

What if you borrowed words when yours run out?

How can you pray when you feel like you don’t quite have the words for God? For many of us, this becomes an invitation to break away from prayer, and to lessen the intimacy and connection we have with God. For centuries, in times when there don’t seem to be words, God’s people have turned to the Psalms as written prayers.

THE PRACTICE

Making the Psalms your prayer

The book of Psalms is a book of prayers, and we can use the words of others to help us know what to pray about and to give ourselves words for the things we don’t know how to express.

Psalms like Psalm 23 can remind us of God’s close and comforting presence. The Psalms of Ascent give us language for the spiritual journey we are on. A Psalm like Psalm 46 can carry us when things are difficult.

Instead of just reading the Psalms, try letting them become your prayer.

RESOURCES

Companions for the journey

Praying the Bible
Book by Donald Whitney. A simple method for turning Scripture, especially the Psalms, into prayer.

Psalms of Ascent
Psalms 120–134. Short prayers for the journey with God.