Praying Through Psalms

BLAMELESS is how the Father sees us when we are Christ's own. As I pray this psalm, I wonder, what are his statutes? What are his precepts? The Old Testament has so many. Then, I remember what Jesus said, "The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your soul and all your mind, and the second is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself." This word is enough for t...

"I LOVE THE LORD, because..." because he has heard my voice so many times and he will again. He will hear my pleas for mercy. This knowledge restores my soul, and I am so full of thanksgiving. When I wander into fear or anger or self-pity, I must return to the Lord's rest in order to find his peace. I must pray with the Psalmist, "O Lord I pray, deliver my soul." Praying th...

THIS PSALM begins with a beatitude; 'Happy are those" or "Blessed are those," introduces a beatitude. Happy are those who fear or trust the Lord. The Psalmist continues with life outcomes for those who trust the Lord. There is a clear idea throughout the psalm that trusting the Lord forms us, and we live differently because of it. Ask the Lord if there are areas in your life whe...

DAILY BREAD is more than just food. It is all of our met-needs. Spend some time with the Lord remembering ways Jesus has met your needs. Record these in your journal. Spending time in the Word allows the Lord to be our teacher, as as a result, we grow in wisdom. Wisdom from the Lord produces a life lived in the knowledge of him and results in obedience to him. The desired outcome of studying Scrip...

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 ove...

PLEASE READ this psalm in its entirety. As with many of the psalms, 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...

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 carry with you to meditate on, bringing praise to our Creator? 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. Praying through Psalms is a Guide to Contemplative Prayer using Anglican Prayer Beads.  You may use prayer beads or simply listen and pray without praye...

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 the book of prayers are excellent for repentance.

THIS IS A FAVORITE PSALM of mine, a sure psalm for providing a song of praise. Join the Psalmist and worship the Lord with gladness. Praying through the Psalms is a Guide to Contemplative Prayer using Anglican Prayer Beads. You may use prayer beads or simply listen and pray without prayer beads. We recommend engaging your body through touch, using prayer beads as you embrace these ancient prayers...

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...

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 absol...

THE NATION OF ISRAEL and the writers of the Psalms declare the glory of the Lord among themselves and to the nations by recalling the creation, the rescue from Egypt, and the provision in the wilderness. How do you declare the glory of the Lord in your life? How do you declare the glory of God to others? Ask Jesus to guide you in the Way, instruct you in the Truth and to fill you with his life thr...

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 th...

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. Praise. Journal.

Praying through Psalms is a Guide to Contemplative Prayer using Anglican Prayer Beads.  You may use prayer beads or simply listen and pray without prayer beads.  We recommend engaging your body through touch, using prayer beads as you embrace these ancient prayers of God's people.  More on how to use prayer beads is in the first episode of this podcast. My prayer for you is that you...

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. Praying through  Psalms is a Guide to Contemplative Prayer using Anglican Prayer Beads.  You...

Praying through Psalms is a Guide to Contemplative Prayer using Anglican Prayer Beads.  You may use prayer beads or simply listen and pray without prayer beads.  We recommend engaging your body through touch, using prayer beads as you embrace these ancient prayers of God's people.  More on how to use prayer beads is in the first episode of this podcast. My prayer for you is that you...

Praying through Psalms is a Guide to Contemplative Prayer using Anglican Prayer Beads.  You may use prayer beads or simply listen and pray without prayer beads.  We recommend engaging your body through touch, using prayer beads as you embrace these ancient prayers of God's people.  More on how to use prayer beads is in the first episode of this podcast. My prayer for you is that you...

Praying through Psalms is a Guide to Contemplative Prayer using Anglican Prayer Beads.  You may use prayer beads or simply listen and pray without prayer beads.  We recommend engaging your body through touch, using prayer beads as you embrace these ancient prayers of God's people.  More on how to use prayer beads is in the first episode of this podcast. My prayer for you is that you...

Praying through Psalms is a Guide to Contemplative Prayer using Anglican Prayer Beads.  You may use prayer beads or simply listen and pray without prayer beads.  We recommend engaging your body through touch, using prayer beads as you embrace these ancient prayers of God's people.  More on how to use prayer beads is in the first episode of this podcast. My prayer for you is that you...

Praying through Psalms is a Guide to Contemplative Prayer using Anglican Prayer Beads.  You may use prayer beads or simply listen and pray without prayer beads.  We recommend engaging your body through touch, using prayer beads as you embrace these ancient prayers of God's people.  More on how to use prayer beads is in the first episode of this podcast. My prayer for you is that you...

Praying through Psalms is a Guide to Contemplative Prayer using Anglican Prayer Beads.  You may use prayer beads or simply listen and pray without prayer beads.  We recommend engaging your body through touch, using prayer beads as you embrace these ancient prayers of God's people.  More on how to use prayer beads is in the first episode of this podcast. My prayer for you is that you...

Praying through Psalms is a Guide to Contemplative Prayer using Anglican Prayer Beads.  You may use prayer beads or simply listen and pray without prayer beads.  We recommend engaging your body through touch, using prayer beads as you embrace these ancient prayers of God's people.  More on how to use prayer beads is in the first episode of this podcast. My prayer for you is that you...

PSALMS 120 THROUGH 134 are called the Songs of Ascent. These songs were sung when the people were on pilgrimage to Jerusalem.  Jerusalem sits at an elevation of about 2,700 feet, thus the idea of ascending, going up to Jerusalem.  The Psalms of Ascent are filled with assurances of faith and the joy of expectation in going to the house of the Lord, as in Psalm 122:1. When I see Israel in...