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Pray the Bible

Pray the Bible: Session 3

Praying the Psalms

The Book of Psalms is a treasure trove of theology-laden, emotion-driven songs of praise and lament. They give us words for when our hearts fail us, and serve as the emotional soundtrack of God’s worshiping people. And yet, for many, praying the Psalms might seem great in theory, but challenging in practice. This session helps us understand the genre of poetry and see five ways we can pray the Psalms.

Pray the Bible - Praying the Psalms - Teaching (audio)

Praying the Psalms PDF Transcript

Discussion Questions:

  • If you’ve used the Psalms for prayer, what has your experience been like?
  • John Calvin called the Psalms ‘an anatomy of all the parts of the soul.’ How does the range of raw emotions in the Psalms change your view of God? Your view of prayer?
  • Exercise #1: Read Psalm 2 and then pray it any way you’d like. In one sentence, what is psalm about? What is the tone/emotion of the psalm? For what situations may the psalm prove helpful? How did praying the Psalm help you?
  • Exercise #2: Read Psalm 32 and then pray it any way you’d like. In one sentence, what is psalm about? What is the tone/emotion of the psalm? For what situations may the psalm prove helpful? How did praying the Psalm help you?

Discussion Questions PDF

Respond to the teaching in prayer:

“How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep!” Psalm 92:5 Respond to this session in prayer:

  • Praise God for knowing our challenges, understanding our emotions, and giving us the Psalms to help us pray!
  • Confess your need for God’s Spirit to work in your heart to love Him and pray as you ought.
  • Ask God to deepen your grasp of the Psalms and to have a more Psalm-shaped prayer life.

Go deeper on the topic of praying the Psalms:

Articles: Five Psalms to Pray When the Wicked Prosper, Ten Psalms for Fighting Anxiety, and The Psalms: A Tool for Cultivating Godly Emotions by Kevin Halloran

Article: Biblical Lament: What It Is and How to Do It by Ryan Higginbottom

Sermons on the Psalms: With Christ in the School of Prayer by Pastor Colin

Book Recommendation: God’s Prayer Book: The Power and Pleasure of Praying the Psalms by Ben Patterson. (Also, Patterson came up with the 3-R method from session 2.)

Recommended Psalms for a Variety of Situations:

  • Psalms for Anxiety, Fear, and Depression: 23, 27, 34, 42–43, 46, 56, 61, 62, 77, 91, 112, 121
  • Psalms of Comfort: 16, 23, 116, 119
  • Psalms of Confession and Repentance: 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143
  • Psalms for Deliverance and Protection: 5, 6, 7, 31, 34, 35, 40, 41, 55, 59, 60, 91, 116, 121, 140, 142
  • Psalms of Faith and Trust: 31, 62, 118, 125, 130, 143
  • Psalms for Guidance: 23, 25, 86, 143
  • Psalms of Lament: 5, 12, 13, 22, 31, 42, 51, 74, 80, 88
  • Psalms for Strength: 28, 46, 63, 73, 89, 105, 118
  • Psalms of Thanksgiving: 9, 28, 30, 69, 92, 95, 100, 105, 107, 118, 136, 138, 147
  • Psalms for When the Wicked Prosper: 2, 10, 37, 49, 73
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