Praying Through Psalms

IT IS THROUGH PRAISING the Lord that we declare he is king. In this psalm we are given a way to praise the kingship of God. How does this psalm help you to imagine the kingship of our Heavenly Father? What elements of this song empower your praise of the Lord? Pray. Journal.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT for us to know that there is "no wickedness"--no unrighteousness--in the Lord?

Knowing that God is not wicked is important not only in our own lives but also when we have opportunity to share our faith. The Lord alone is good, and there is no wickedness in him. People are often resistant to Jesus because there is still wickedness in the world. If we are secure in the goodness of God, it will strengthen our faith and our ability to share it.

CONSIDER THE TERRORS that interrupt your sleep. Record them in your journal and talk about them with the Most High. Do the same with the arrows that fly by day. What are the struggles and difficulties that you face in the day? Record these also and trust that Jesus, who is mighty to save, will rescue you.

THE PSALMS make me mindful of the majesty of God. I am left in awe of his greatness as the only God and the only creator of everything.

Meditate on the third set of beads from verse 14: "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you." What does it mean that righteousness and justice are the foundation of the Father's throne?

Read all of Psalm 89 and enjoy the richness of the hyperbole the writer has used to describe what God does for those he delights in.

IN THE BOOK 'PRAYING THROUGH PSALMS..' I have written this on the journal page: 'Forgive me Lord for how slow I am to make your truth my own, your love for others--my love for others.' Lord, I must still pray this in your great name, Amen.

MEDITATE on Psalm 84:5: "Blessed are those whose strength is in you who have set their hearts on pilgrimage." What does it mean for you to be on pilgrimage with the Lord? Journal. Pray.

The paperback Praying through Psalms: A Guide for Contemplative Prayer Using Anglican Prayer Beads can be purchased on Amazon or wherever books are sold.

https://www.amazon.com/Praying-Through-Psalms-Contemplative-Anglican/dp/0999290436/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OVbB_7XI0K7bL6puR5nEnw.HS7lFNhgVKHHZ8hyj972_IfbiAuwk3ytK_mvYcEk5sc&qid=1716395770&sr=1

CONSIDER PSALM 71:5: "For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth." Hope in the Scripture is hope in a sure thing. It is not wishful thinking. Our hope is in the sure and steady sovereign Lord, in whom there is no shadow due to change. Therefore, we can have confidence that he will rescue us.

I rewrote this in the book as a prayer for my family.

"In you oh Lord we have taken refuge.

Let my family never be put to shame. Rescue us and deliver us. Give the command to save us, our rock and fortress. Be not far from us. But as for our family we will always have hope. Help us to praise you more and more. Give the command to save us. Let us tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though we know not its measure. We will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone."

IN OUR FREEDOM to grumble, we often leave out thanksgiving; by doing so, we forget who we belong to. We forget how glorious it is to have access to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Psalm 69:30 says, "glorify him with thanksgiving." God is glorified when we are thankful. When you hear yourself grumbling, ask the Lord to help you practice thanksgiving instead. Gratitude is a practice that actually leads to rewiring our brains and healing and overcoming unhealthy habits.

Psalm 69:16 says, "Answer me out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me." When asking for his mercy, it is to God's great love that we look. When we do not know how to pray in a given situation, to ask for the Lord's mercy covers it all. We are ever in need of it.

I LOVE THIS PSALM There is so much joy in it. Make a joyful noise because God has done awesome things! Come and see what God has done among us! Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard! This is what we do on a Sunday morning: we make a joyful noise and remember all the good things that God has done among us, and we celebrate!

Frequently in the Psalms the psalmist takes a moment amidst the declarations of praise in order to instruct the people. In verse 18 the Psalmist does just that when he reminds his listeners that "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." This is a call to purity and repentance. Is there anything we are treasuring in our hearts that God wants to remove, that in fact must be removed before the Lord will act?

Ask the Lord, listen and journal.

OFTEN WHILE READING or praying the Psalms, I am convicted. The source of that conviction is found in the first set of beads for this psalm, Psalm 63:3: "because your love is better than life." This is a glorious truth and I believe it to be true, but I do not always live in this truth. Being loved by the Father is better than life, better than anything--there is nothing greater to be desired. My desire is to meditate on this truth so that my faith grows in such a way that I live in this truth.