Take a Deep Breath...Praying Psalm 136

Praying the Psalms

...following SPU's Lectio Guides

November 4 - 10

 

 

First.

Read the assigned Psalms (or plan out a reading schedule for the week)  

• Psalm 78
• Psalm 136

Second.

Read or Listen to Dr. Frank Spina's Presentation

• Reciting, Singing, and Ritualizing God’s Story

Third. 

Take a Deep Breath...make the words of the Psalm your very own prayer.

Follow this guide for praying Psalm 136.

 

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Praying Psalm 136

This psalm inspires our prayers of thanksgiving.  Psalms such as this one remind us that saying “thanks” to God is part of a well-balanced prayer life.  Praying Psalm 136 might help make prayers of thanksgiving a regular part of your conversation with God.  The time-honored prayer outline A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) includes it, as does the simple two-part outline of Joys & Concerns or Thanksgivings & Intercessions.   It might be that certain times call for special prayers of thanksgiving, such as when God has answered a prayer for help, at a particular time of the year (such as the November tradition of Thanksgiving), or after a landmark event in your life (such as the birth of a child, or getting a job). 

The main point to keep in mind about Psalm 136 is that in giving thanks to the Lord you are also remembering that he loves you.  You explore the connections between what you're thanking God for and God's enduring love.  Your list of thanksgivings becomes a list of the things God has done to demonstrate his steadfast love for you!

Speaking of the Lord's steadfast love, it's important to take a closer look at the Hebrew word translated "love" by the NIV and "steadfast love" by the NRSV.  The word is Hesed.  In the King James Version it was translated lovingkindness, an outdated word that nevertheless captures a sense of the fullness of the Hebrew term.  Hesed is love expressed in kindness and tenderness, a covenant love that will stand the test of time.  It goes way beyond a generalized concept of God’s love, or even love as an attribute of God.  It’s a word that serves as a window into God’s heart, allowing us to see how deep & enduring God’s love for us really is.
 



Note how the refrain of Psalm 136 is laid out in the Hebrew Bible. Find the "136" and read right to left (it shows the first 6 verses)



Prayer Approach #1: Breath Prayer 

Pray Psalm 136:1 as a breath prayer, repeating it over and over again throughout your day.  Two forms --

• Literal: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  His steadfast love endures forever.
• Personalized:  I give thanks to you, O Lord, for you are good.  Your steadfast love endures forever.

Prayer Approach #2: Join the Chorus

Read the Psalm and be reminded of God's faithfulness - this might be a good preparation for personal prayer.  Remember that as you read your voice is joining the entire chorus of God's people who read Psalm 136 as a testimony of God's steadfast love to His people.

Prayer Approach #3: List Your Thanksgivings

Let the first half of verse 1, "O Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good," be an introduction that invites you to share your list of thanksgivings with God.

1. Use the words as a personal call to prayer: Kurt, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  Or personalize the words into a general prayer of thanksgiving: I give you thanks to you O Lord, for you are good.
2. Then list your thanksgivings and share them with God in prayer. Example: Lord, thank you for...
• my family, specifically for their patience with me when I’m under stress.
• the relationships I have in church, and the opportunity to study your word and mutually encourage others in my small group.
• that note of encouragement I received yesterday.
• reminding me that this struggle I’m going through doesn’t define me; your love will have the last word.

 
Prayer Approach #4: Compose Your Own Litany of the Lord's Steadfast Love

For his steadfast love endures forever: this phrase is repeated in each of the 26 verses, woven into a story of how God has expressed his steadfast love to His people.  How might you work this phrase into your story of God's faithfulness?  What is your story of what God has done for you?  Think of this as a "prayer-writing" opportunity, perhaps something to write in a prayer journal.

Example:

You created me good

For your steadfast love endures forever

Put me in the family that raised me
For your steadfast love endures forever

Led me to the church I grew up in
For your steadfast love endures forever

Where I developed a relationship with you through Jesus Christ
For your steadfast love endures forever

You helped me through a dark time in my life

For your steadfast love endures forever

I struggled to find hope
For your steadfast love endures forever

You sent people into my life to encourage me
For your steadfast love endures forever

You reminded me that I was your beloved child
For your steadfast love endures forever

And welcomed me deeper in your embrace through prayer
For your steadfast love endures forever

Note: Any group in the church can tell their story of God's faithfulness in this way - a small group, a family, a congregation, a mission team reporting on a mission trip.  The possibilities are endless, just like the Lord's steadfast love!

Words of Blessing
May you experience in your life the never-ending steadfast love of the Lord.  May you know the joyful freedom that comes when we give thanks to the Lord for all the ways He is good to us. Amen.

Together in Christ,

Pastor Kurt