Psalms and Prayer

The Psalms Teach us to Pray in a New Way

Prayer is one of those parts of life that people seem to either love or hate. Usually those who love to pray feel as though they can pour out there heart to God and know that they are heard. But those who steer clear of prayer either do so out of boredom (“same old same old”) or simply because they can’t get a handle on it.

The Psalms are a book of prayers set to music that is now lost in the mists of time. But the way those ancient people prayed (and they had many styles) can help us now. They take us out of our boring comfort zone and challenge us to pray about things you don’t normally mention in prayer.

In today’s service we get to make up a Psalm using the patterns used in the Book of Psalms. But where they would talk to God about treacherous enemies, violent dangers, Temples, high towers, etc, we get to include the things that we love and the things we wish were different today.

The Psalms often included several parts:
1. Praising God for his character
2. Praising God for his creation
3. Pointing out to God the really bad things going on around them (enemies, corruption, disasters, sickness, etc.)
4. Reminding God of how he used to save his people in the old days (hint hint!)
5. Praising God in anticipation of the help he is now sending

The Jewish people are renowned for being more assertive with God than you and I but perhaps our prayers could do with a bit more ‘chutzpah’ as we pray about the broken lives in our community and our yearning for God to bring change through us.

What do we teach our children to pray about? Do we teach them boring styles of praying or do we get them to engage their everyday lives and issues with the saving God of the Bible.

I especially like step 4 in todays DIY Psalm. Remebering what God has done for you as a way of getting fired up about what he can do in your situation.

More ‘chutzpah’ to your prayer life!

Shalom,
Graeme