Praying the Psalms

Summer in the Psalms

“If you need a guide for your ongoing relationship with God, read Psalms.”
― Jim George

“The more deeply we grow into the psalms and the more often we pray them as our own, the more simple and rich will our prayers become.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The Psalms have been my prayer book, my hymn book, my conversation with God book for so long. Any time I feel the nudge to slip away and spend time with the Lord, the Psalms is my go-to. If I feel a need to re-focus and get back to my first love, I head to the Psalms. We see the humanity of David. We see the battles fought, the confession and repentance, the worship, the HOPE. We see David crying out to God in the depths of his despair and we see him preaching the gospel to his heart as he reminds himself of where his true hope lies.

Spend a few moments each morning this summer reading one or two Psalms. You can take this deeper and WRITE the Psalms. Pray them. Journal them. Speak them. Choose one verse to meditate on for the day. Make this reading plan your own.

I will not be posting daily on social media, but if you want to follow my STORIES on Instagram or Facebook, that is where I will share the most often. I will periodically share a post in both of those places, too. Join me on Instagram or Facebook. If you decide to share posts as we go along, I would love for you to use the hashtag #summerinthepsalms

I would love for you to join me!

Extra: If you’d like a devotional to use as we read through the Psalms (totally optional!) I love this one by Timothy Keller! The Songs of Jesus: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms. (I will follow the number of the Psalm and not the date as I’m reading.)

Print the Summer in the Psalms Reading Plan

Click the graphic or this PDF link to print your own copy!

Summer in the Psalms PDF

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Praying Psalm 145

Lord God, You uphold me, You raise up those who are bowed low. My eyes look expectantly to You, You give food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy me. You are righteous in all Your ways, gracious in all Your works. You are near to all who call upon You, to all who call on You in truth. You fulfill the desire of all who fear You, You hear my cry and save me. You preserve me. My mouth will speak Your praise!

Psalm 145:14-21

Did you catch that word there in verse 15?

Expectantly.

Is that how we look to God? We look expectantly to the weekend, to a big day, a fun trip. What would happen if we began looking to God EXPECTANTLY and WITH HOPE?? Excited.

Anticipating His goodness.

Let’s go about our day today EXPECTANTLY hoping in the Lord. Knowing and trusting that He is good and He has good things in store.

I want to be EXPECTANTLY looking to God and not my circumstances. I want to BEHOLD God and not all the negativity I see every direction I look. I want to SEE HIM and FIX MY EYES ON HIM.

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Praying the Psalms of Ascent

The Psalms are likely my favorite book of the Bible. We see the humanity of David, the battles, the worship…a man after God’s own heart. They are my favorite Psalms to pray, my favorite Words of comfort, the encouragement and conviction my heart needs as I start each day.

“The Psalter is the prayer book of Jesus Christ in the truest sense of the word. He prayed the Psalter and now it has become his prayer for all time…we understand how the Psalter can be prayer to God and yet God’s own Word, precisely because here we encounter the praying Christ…because those who pray the psalms are joining in with the prayer of Jesus Christ, their prayer reaches the ears of God. Christ has become their intercessor…”― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The Psalms are some of the most beloved and well known words of the Bible. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. He is near to the brokenhearted. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet. Create in me a clean heart.

But the Psalms of Ascent are certain Psalms, chapters 120-134, and they are known as the Pilgrim songs. These Psalms remind us that we are on a journey. We are not home yet.

I don’t know about you, but I need that reminder!

Praying the Psalms of Ascent

“The more deeply we grow into the psalms and the more often we pray them as our own, the more simple and rich will our prayer become.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Here is a free printable PDF calendar for you to use as you go through the Psalms of Ascent. I have put just a few words to spark your prayers under each Psalm.

How do you pray the Scriptures? Read it, speak it, let the words of the Psalmist become your own prayers.

To receive a FREE guide book for Praying the Scriptures, subscribe here.

(I am doing this prayer calendar along with the She Reads Truth study for May of 2017, but you can use this calendar ANY time you’d like to spend a few weeks reading and praying through the Psalms of Ascent.)

Praying the Psalms of Ascent PDF

“The Psalms wrap nouns and verbs around our pain better than any other book.” Joni Eareckson Tada

Learn to pray the Psalms with this 30 day how-to guide along with a Psalm to pray each day!

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Psalm 129

As I’ve been reading through the Psalms in the 150 Days in the Psalms plan, I had hoped to share more of my simple thoughts and truths as I’ve read through the Psalms. Alas, I’ve only gotten to blog about a few of the Psalms!

(You can find nearly every morning’s Psalm and prayer on Instagram if you want to search for the hashtag #150DaysInThePsalms)

Psalm 129

1 “They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,”
    let Israel say;
2 “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
    but they have not gained the victory over me.
3 Plowmen have plowed my back
    and made their furrows long.
4 But the Lord is righteous;
    he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.”

5 May all who hate Zion
    be turned back in shame.
6 May they be like grass on the roof,
    which withers before it can grow;
7 a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,
    nor one who gathers fill his arms.
8 May those who pass by not say to them,
    “The blessing of the Lord be on you;
    we bless you in the name of the Lord.”

Crushed But Not Destroyed

Verse 2 from Psalm 129 says that we may have been greatly afflicted, but the enemy has not prevailed! I love this reminder of the victory we have in Christ!

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

This passage in 2 Corinthians goes on to say, “therefore we do not lose heart…” so let us remember that while we may be crushed, we are not destroyed. The enemy will not prevail. We have victory in Jesus. We know our eternity is secure because of His blood. We can live as victorious and grateful people.

We are His.

More Psalms

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Praying Your Own Psalm 136

praying-your-own-psalm-136

When we pray God’s Word, we are aligning our hearts with the will of God. We are proclaiming that we believe His Word to be true. We are asking Him to complete His perfect will in us.

Psalm 136 is the perfect Psalm to read, meditate on and pray. It’s also especially perfect for cultivating gratitude. And when we take the words and make them our own it becomes even more personal.