Thank you for your post on praying the Psalms today. It’s a much needed reminder and encouragement.
I live in Minnesota and so much of what we are seeing/experiencing in these recent weeks is heartbreaking. It’s hard not to just give way to anger. The Psalms give us the words to express our grief and frustration / anger and to ask God to intervene with divine wisdom and justice in these difficult times.
Thank you. I read this in full this morning. Prayer has always felt like a have to, not a get to. I love the simplicity of taking written words spoken through the ages and simply allowing them to be sufficient. This feels freeing.
I hope it is freeing! I agree with you, that having always to think up your own words is more of a burden than we sometimes know, especially in seasons of spiritual dryness or grief. May the Psalms be a boon to a new year of joyful prayer!
This was great, Jen! Not so long ago I prayed through a psalm or so each morning for a year. It was indeed forming, as you said. There were many takeaways, but the one that stood out to me the most was how the psalms present what is real, and serve as a reality check for the reader. As the nations rage, the Lord sits in the heavens and laughs at plans made in vain (Ps. 2). How much less I need to worry about everything that I was never in control of in the first place. (Btw, I’ve been reading your Substack for a few years and wish to comment on just about every one, but alas my children call! I love your writing, and how you communicate your thoughts.)
I so appreciate this post, Jen. I have a LONG way to go in memorizing the psalter, but the ones I have already committed to memory are such a blessing! I have also found a companion to the psalms that’s really blessing me—David’s Crown by Malcolm Guite (an Anglican priest!). Malcolm has written a beautiful poem for each psalm, and it is helping me to read the poem along with the psalm. (I bought my copy on Amazon, although it’s probably available from other retailers as well.) https://amzn.to/4sMnkTz
I had never heard of this resource from Guite, though I have some of his other poetry collections! Thank you so much, Richella, for mentioning it and dropping a link here for me and others!
I have come to love chanting the psalms! We do one each week during worship, and I try to do at least one per day myself too. I'm doing a Bible-in-a-year plan that includes all the Psalms twice.
Thank you for your post on praying the Psalms today. It’s a much needed reminder and encouragement.
I live in Minnesota and so much of what we are seeing/experiencing in these recent weeks is heartbreaking. It’s hard not to just give way to anger. The Psalms give us the words to express our grief and frustration / anger and to ask God to intervene with divine wisdom and justice in these difficult times.
“God is our refuge and strength,
an ever present help in trouble.” Ps 46
Yes! I am so grateful that by praying the Psalms, we learn how to express anger faithfully - and to God!
Thank you. I read this in full this morning. Prayer has always felt like a have to, not a get to. I love the simplicity of taking written words spoken through the ages and simply allowing them to be sufficient. This feels freeing.
I hope it is freeing! I agree with you, that having always to think up your own words is more of a burden than we sometimes know, especially in seasons of spiritual dryness or grief. May the Psalms be a boon to a new year of joyful prayer!
This was great, Jen! Not so long ago I prayed through a psalm or so each morning for a year. It was indeed forming, as you said. There were many takeaways, but the one that stood out to me the most was how the psalms present what is real, and serve as a reality check for the reader. As the nations rage, the Lord sits in the heavens and laughs at plans made in vain (Ps. 2). How much less I need to worry about everything that I was never in control of in the first place. (Btw, I’ve been reading your Substack for a few years and wish to comment on just about every one, but alas my children call! I love your writing, and how you communicate your thoughts.)
What a great example Psalm 2 is of this reality-check you're naming. Yes! Thank you for sharing, and thank you also for your encouragement!
I so appreciate this post, Jen. I have a LONG way to go in memorizing the psalter, but the ones I have already committed to memory are such a blessing! I have also found a companion to the psalms that’s really blessing me—David’s Crown by Malcolm Guite (an Anglican priest!). Malcolm has written a beautiful poem for each psalm, and it is helping me to read the poem along with the psalm. (I bought my copy on Amazon, although it’s probably available from other retailers as well.) https://amzn.to/4sMnkTz
I had never heard of this resource from Guite, though I have some of his other poetry collections! Thank you so much, Richella, for mentioning it and dropping a link here for me and others!
I was hoping it was okay to include the link. I agonized over that for a bit. I do love that book!
Often I’ll use the Amazon link to get the necessary info I need for ordering from my local bookstore!
That's a smart strategy!
I have come to love chanting the psalms! We do one each week during worship, and I try to do at least one per day myself too. I'm doing a Bible-in-a-year plan that includes all the Psalms twice.
That would be helpful to learn how to chant in community!
Do you read music? Have you ever been exposed to chant instruction? It's really simple once you know the formula.
I do read music, and there's some instruction in this Psalter. I should probably just dig in and try to learn!
You'll nail it! There are some good YouTube videos on it too if needed.