Praying Through Psalms

IN THE FIRST SET of beads, we prayed, "Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works." Sometimes it can seem that our lives are being lived in Egypt, but our home is in God's wondrous works. Just as those works happened here, on earth, God is with us now. Return to your own remembrance of God's saving mercy, recall how he has forgiven you over and over, and give thanks.

In the second set of beads, we prayed, "But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel." We must wait for his counsel; press into his presence today. Wait, listen. If you do not hear in this moment, go in faith that the Lord will answer. Listen as you go along the way of a "long obedience in the same direction" (from Eugene Peterson's book of the same title).

PLEASE READ this psalm in its entirety. As with many of the psalms in this collection, I have left much of the wonderful psalm out in order to make them into a prayer of meditation. In this psalm you will find the story of Israel. The roots of this psalm are found in Genesis and Exodus.

The Invitatory Bead in this prayer comes from verse 1b, "Make known his deeds among the peoples." Though we do not forget the deeds of God recorded in the Old Testament, the work of Jesus Christ at the cross is the ultimate saving deed we are called to make known among the nations. It is good to record the saving deeds of Jesus in our own lives, to maintain our own stones of remembrance. Revisiting the healing and saving Jesus has done in our lives is a good way to praise the Lord. As you remember what he has already done, ask if there is more healing, more deliverance, more to learn in those areas of your life where the Father has been at work.

In the fourth set of beads, we pray, "He is mindful of his covenant forever." Explore what it means that our God is a Covenant God and that you are in Covenant with him.

Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord REJOICE.

Before you begin listening to this psalm, take a deep breath, let it out slowly and know that the Father is looking at you with love. Receive his great love for you, then pray through this Psalm.

HOPEFULLY you have begun the practice of taking a verse from the Psalms with you to meditate on during the day. If not, perhaps you will begin the practice today. What verse will you take with you today to meditate on, bringing praise to our creator? Pray. Journal.

PSALM 103 is a Hymn of Praise. Praising the Lord is one of the best ways we have to share our faith. We become evangelists when we can share what God has done for us. Settle into the psalm, remembering his mercy and greatness, and praise the Lord.

SOMETIMES WE KNOW we need to repent but do not know how to go about it. Along with this psalm, Psalms 32 and 51 in this collection of prayers are excellent for repentance.

Journaling as we pray is an excellent practice.

THIS IS A FAVORITE PSALM of mine, a sure psalm for providing a hymn of praise.

Join the Psalmist and worship the Lord with gladness.

IN LIGHT OF GLORIOUS REVELATION, rejoicing is the right response. "The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations." "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." Therefore, the Psalmist says, "Let us shout for joy to the Lord!"

How would it change your confidence in sharing your faith with those who do not call on the name of the Lord if you believed in your heart that the Lord has made his salvation known? Knowing that the Lord has revealed his righteousness and that the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God is a great encouragement in sharing what we know to be true about Jesus.

HOW GLORIOUS IT WOULD BE if the earth were glad because it recognized that the Lord reigns. Would the world be different if all of us who call on Christ as King rose up and walked in the glory and goodness of his reign?

In the verse found in the Cruciform Bead -- "The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth" -- the Psalmist provides imagery of the absolute power and authority God has over his creation. Would the world around us be different if daily we walked in the knowledge that the Lord reigns?

Consider Psalm 97:10: "Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones." What does it mean for you to hate evil? Journal.

PRAYING FRIENDS, I would be so grateful for your prayers as I am writing a second book. Similar to 'Praying though Psalms: A Guide for Contemplative Prayer Using Anglican Prayer Beads.'

In the book currently underway I edited texts form both the Old and New Testament to be meditated upon with Anglican Prayer Beads. I also invited 10 other writers to participate in the project by writing their responses to the edited texts.

I believe this will be a blessing to everyone who desires to slow down in the Word of God and hear him speak. The responses I have read so far are full of faith and encouragement.

As books go we are likely a year out before we publish...please pray for me as I continue to organize this effort and for my remaining writing efforts.

All of the writers are Pastors (or as we say in Anglican circles, Priests) or Deacons of churches and have very full plates, I am so grateful that they became a part of this project.

THE ANCIENT WRITERS of the Old Testament frequently wrote about God in such a way as to explain his uniqueness, his greatness, when compared to the gods worshiped by cultures near them. The Near Eastern religions had many gods. The Psalmist and other writers of the Old Testament frequently established the fact that their God, the one true God, is the greatest of all gods. For instance, " For the Lord is the great God, and a great King above all gods," is not written to include other gods but to explain to the nations that there is but one God.

The Psalms frequently worship God because he is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He created us; therefore, we should kneel before our maker and listen to his voice. Rest in the truth that you belong to God. Press into his presence. Listen. Journal.