Take a Deep Breath ... Praying Psalms of Praise at Christmas

Praying the Psalms
...following SPU's Lectio Guides

December 23-29 

 

First.

Read the assigned Psalms (or plan out a reading schedule for the week ... try one each day)  

• Psalm 145
• Psalm 146
• Psalm 147
• Psalm 148
• Psalm 149

Second.

Read or Listen to Dr. Frank Spina's Presentation

• Praise the Lord: The Psalter's Amen

Third. 

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

Follow this guide ...

 

__________

Christmas Praises
 
We're wrapping up our journey of praying the Psalms with 5 of the final 6 psalms in the collection, a crescendo of praise to the Lord.  It just so happens that we're reading these during the week of Christmas.  What better time than Christmas to pray prayers of praise to the God who has brought us salvation in the birth of Jesus.

Whenever you read "Praise the Lord," in Hebrew it's "Hallelujah!" -- so feel free to say it (or shout it!) in the original language.  This repeated refrain is not so different from the "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" of Christmas carols.  The multitude of the heavenly host just might have thrown in a few "Hallelujahs!" as they proclaimed "Glory to God in the highest."

Put into practice your skills of personalizing the phrases & verses as you go, reading them as prayers to the Lord. 

Enjoy praising God this Christmas!


Pastor Kurt


Special note: A few of these Psalms of praise have sections that sound a lot like the songs of Mary (Luke 1:46-55) and Zechariah (Luke 1:67-79) that set the stage for Jesus' birth.  Look at these sections of Psalm 146 & 147, then look at Luke 1 and make your own comparisons.  Any way you say it, God's salvation is good news of great joy for ALL people!

Psalm 146:7-9
⁷He upholds the cause of the oppressed
    and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
⁸     the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
    the Lord loves the righteous.
⁹ The Lord watches over the foreigner
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Psalm 147:2-6
²The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the exiles of Israel.
³ He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
⁴ He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.
⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.
⁶ The Lord sustains the humble
    but casts the wicked to the ground.

Take a Deep Breath ... Praying Psalm 130 during Advent

Praying Psalm 130

An Advent-themed Psalm

It's December 16, and yesterday we celebrated the third Sunday of Advent.  Advent is a season of anticipation of a Holy Day, Christmas, which celebrates God's gift of a Savior in Jesus Christ.  Many of us look forward to Christmas Eve worship service as a spiritual highlight of the season.  When we make our trek to the church on Christmas Eve, it's not altogether unlike the people of Israel making their trek up to the temple on the mountain of the Lord in Jerusalem.  So a Psalm of Ascent makes sense during this season.

Psalm 130 is a Psalm of Ascent that makes a lot of sense during the Advent journey.  Here you'll find featured the watchwords of Advent: waiting and hope. You'll also find mention of God's steadfast love, forgiveness, and redemption - words that get to the heart of why God sent his Son to be God with us.  It opens up with an honest admission of feeling low - in the depths - that so many of us experience during this time of year that our culture labels "the most wonderful time of the year."  Good thing that God is listening to our prayers, and hears our voice in the midst of all the noisy holiday hustle and bustle.

The first half of Psalm 130 is in the form of a prayer, already in the form of words you can simply speak to God.  The second half is more of a personal testimony: you'll have to change the language a bit to work it into a direct prayer.

 

Psalm 130:1-2

*Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. *Lord, hear my voice!Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!

Pray these words directly to the Lord; consider saying them a couple of times slowly.  Think of the depths that you may be experiencing right now, and tell God about it.  Remember, his ears are attentive to you. He hears you.

Psalm 130:3-4

*If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? *But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.

Pray these words directly to the Lord, then ease into telling God the truth about your sins.  As you confess and say sorry, remember that God has a right to judge our behavior, but also that God wants to be revered for his forgiveness.

Psalm 130:5-6

*I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; *my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.

Personalize the language of this Psalm, and aim the words toward the Lord.  Consider what you are waiting for this Advent.  How are you experiencing the wait?  Engage in a casual prayerful conversation with God.  Remember how the people of God waited for a Savior, and when the moment was right God made good on his promise.

Psalm 130:7-8

*O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. *It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Personalize these words and say them to the Lord.  Give thanks for God's steadfast love, the reason behind the Christmas story.  Thank God for your redemption in Jesus Christ.  Remember, it is the Lord who will redeem you from all your iniquity, and the Lord's POWER TO REDEEM is GREAT!

 

Words of Blessing

May your Advent waiting result in an experience of God's powerful redemption, as God meets you with steadfast love and listening ears right where you live.

Take a Deep Breath ... Praying Psalm 119

Praying the Psalms
...following SPU's Lectio Guides

December 9 - 15 

 

First.

Read the assigned Psalm (or plan out a reading schedule for the week ... try one each day)  

• Psalm 119 (if 174 verses is too much, consider the list of selected verses below)

Second.

Read or Listen to Dr. Frank Spina's Presentation

• God's Law: Burden or Delight?

Third. 

   

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

Follow this guide ...

 

__________

Praying Psalm 119

 

Dr. Frank Spina, in his commentary on Psalm 119, suggests that Christians might have an immediate negative reaction to Psalm 119 because of its focus on “the law” (Torah).  If this resonates with you, be sure to read what he has to say…you’ll see things from a new perspective.  Another reason for a negative reaction is the length & repetitiveness of Psalm 119.  It’s a challenge to read and maintain interest: 176 verses, many of which repeat the same basic message.

A couple years ago I took on a personal spiritual challenge of reading a verse of Psalm 119 each weekday morning.  It took me nearly a year, but by God’s grace I made it through!  I discovered great treasure in Psalm 119. 

 

Quick Conversations

One of the discoveries I made was to recognize that most verses of the psalm are mini-prayers, “I-You” conversations between the reader and God.  Try praying Psalm 119:10 slowly and meditatively…and see where God guides you: “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.”

 

Prayers Before Scripture Reading

Another discovery was to realize that most verses from Psalm 119 make great “Prayers of Illumination,” a brief prayer to pray before reading a passage from scripture found anywhere in the Bible.  Try praying Psalm 119:105 (a classic favorite) before you read a scripture passage of your choice: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

 

A Treasury of Breath Prayers

Finally, I discovered that each verse can be memorized in the morning and prayed throughout the day.  They are all candidates for being “breath prayers,” breathing in the first line and breathing out the second.  Repeating one verse over and over again – meditating on them, as Psalm 119 would put it – can really nurture a sense of closeness to the Lord.  Try praying Psalm 119:37.  Repeat it slowly until it’s in your memory, then take it with you into your day and pray it often: “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.”

 

Here’s a quick list of Psalm 119 verses not to miss out on:

Psalm 119:10

I seek you with all my heart;
    do not let me stray from your commands.

Psalm 119:11 [Classic Favorite]

I have hidden your word in my heart
    that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:15

I meditate on your precepts
    and consider your ways.

Psalm 119:18 [Classic Favorite]

Open my eyes that I may see
    wonderful things in your law.

Psalm 119:25

I am laid low in the dust;
    preserve my life according to your word.

Psalm 119:37

Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
    preserve my life according to your word.

Psalm 119:68

You are good, and what you do is good;
    teach me your decrees.

Psalm 119:94

Save me, for I am yours;
    I have sought out your precepts.

Psalm 119:97 [Classic Favorite]

Oh, how I love your law!
    I meditate on it all day long.

Psalm 119:103

How sweet are your words to my taste,
    sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psalm 119:105 [Classic Favorite]

Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.

Psalm 119:114

You are my refuge and my shield;
    I have put my hope in your word.

Psalm 119:164

Seven times a day I praise you
    for your righteous laws.

Psalm 119:174

I long for your salvation, Lord,
    and your law gives me delight.


_____Blessing_______

Stay close to God by staying close to God's word.  And may God's word be a lamp for your feet and a light on your path.

Pastor Kurt

Take a Deep Breath ... Praying Psalm 103

Praying the Psalms

...following SPU's Lectio Guides

December 2 - 8 

 

First.

Read the assigned Psalms (or plan out a reading schedule for the week ... try one each day)  

• Psalm 103
• Psalm 104
• Psalm 105
• Psalm 106

Second.

Read or Listen to Dr. Frank Spina's Presentation

• Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Third. 

   

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

Follow this guide ...

 

__________

Praying Psalm 103 - Praise the Lord, My Soul

Psalm 103 is one of the most beloved of the psalms, and it’s easy to see why.  It invites the reader/prayer/singer to reflect upon the Lord’s goodness and to bless the Lord in grateful response.  The praise we offer comes from “my soul,” what Dr. Frank Spina describes as our “innermost being or … essential self.”  This Psalm creates space for an intimate and deep connection between us and God.  Make time to enter into it.

 

103:1-5. Forget Not All His Benefits

*Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.  *Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— *who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, *who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, *who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

• Reconnect with Your Inmost Being.  Sometimes our prayers can be hurried, said in haste from near the surface of our lives, off “the top of our heads.”  But here Psalm 103 calls us to praise the Lord from our soul, our inmost being.  Quiet down.  Take deep breaths and slowly exhale.  Some call this “centering,” but regardless of the name it basically amounts to reestablishing the connection between your mind & heart, your thinking & being.
• Forget Not All the Lord’s Benefits.  Personalize this list and expand on it with specifics.  Lord, I remember your benefits and give you praise: You forgive all my sins [name specifics].  You heal my diseases [name specifics].  You redeem my life from the pit [name specifics of how God has rescued you from danger, difficulty, or depression].  You crown me with love and compassion [name specifics of how you have experienced God’s love].  You satisfy my desires with good things [name specific instances of God giving you a desired good thing].

 

103:6-7. Champion of the Oppressed

*The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.  *He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

• Personalize. Lord, you work righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.  I feel oppressed in my life right now, oppressed by [name specifics].  Work your righteousness and justice into my situation, just as you did for Moses and the people of Israel when you brought them out of slavery into the promised land.
• Pray for the Oppressed.  Lord, you work righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.  I pray specifically for those who are oppressed.  [Name the people and their situation].  Bring your righteousness and justice into their situation, and deliver them just as you heard the cry of your people while they were oppressed as slaves in Egypt, and you freed them and led them to the promised land.

103:8-12. Slow to Anger, Abounding in Steadfast Love

*The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  *He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; *he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  *For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; *as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

• Receive Forgiveness.  Sometimes we need extra encouragement to truly believe God’s promise of forgiveness.  Does God really forgive me?  Pray these words following your confession of sin, allowing God’s compassion and grace to overwhelm you!  Lord, you are compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  I’m so grateful that you don’t stay mad at me when I sin, and that you aren't making plans on getting back at me for my unfaithfulness.  Your love for me is great – as high as the heavens are above the earth.  In Christ I have the assurance that you have removed my transgressions from me as far as anybody can imagine – as far as the east is from the west.
• Offer Forgiveness.  Being a child of God means that there should be some kind of family resemblance in how we relate to others. Pray something like this: Lord, you are compassionate and gracious.  You are slow to anger.  You abound in steadfast love.  You don’t harbor anger forever.  You don’t repay us as our sins deserve.  Help me to be like you, and forgive as you have forgiven me.

103:13-18. Compassionate Understanding

*As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; *for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.  *The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; *the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.  *But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—*with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

• Meditate on God’s Understanding.  Pray something like this: Lord, you know how I am formed.  You remember that I’m human, formed out of the dust of the earth.  I’m not God.  I don’t have super human powers.  I’m simply human, prone to make mistakes^.  You understand my weaknesses, and you have compassion on me.  Out of your great love for me, help me to keep your covenant and remember to obey your precepts.  ^[If you're a fan of 80s music, this statement might remind you of the song “Human” by the Human League]
• Connect with Your Compassionate Heavenly Father.  Two Options & sample prayers:
• If you experienced or are experiencing a compassionate human father.  Lord, you have compassion on me just like a dad who is compassionate and understanding of his children.  Thank you for my human father’s love, and thank you for your steadfast love.  Form me into a person who loves others like you.
• If you didn’t experience or aren’t experiencing a compassionate human father.  Lord, I don’t have much experience with a compassionate father.  All I know is that you have compassion for me, the kind of compassion and understanding that I didn’t receive from my dad.  Help me to receive your love, that I may love even those who didn’t act loving toward me.

103:19-22. Praise the Lord & King

*The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.  *Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.  *Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.  *Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion.  Praise the Lord, my soul.

• Personalize the Praise.  Pray something like this: Lord, you have established your throne in heaven and your kingdom rules over all.  Establish your throne in my life, that I might live under your rule, in harmony with your will.  I praise you along with the angels and the heavenly hosts.  I praise you along with you all your works everywhere.  I praise you from the depths of my soul.
• Join Creation’s Chorus.  Step outside, go for a walk/hike, spend time observing God’s works in nature – sky, clouds, trees, mountains, lakes, rivers, sea, etc.  Imagine God’s creation praising God. Now join in with them!

 

Closing Blessing:

May you know God’s compassionate and steadfast love in your inner being, at the very heart of your life.  And out of this grounding in God’s love may you bless the Lord with praises as you walk with Him.

Pastor Kurt