“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.” James 5:13 NKJV

The book of Psalms was the songbook for ancient Israel. And so, it’s no surprise that the church over the centuries has also sung them with much feeling, both low and high. Could it also be said that the psalms are the Church’s prayer book? Yes, and so, we also pray the Psalms with much feeling, both low and high. In modern evangelicalism we are blessed with many fine prayer devotionals based on the whole Bible’s record of praying. But even there, as the Apostles and Jesus himself pray, it’s so often in reference to a Psalm.[i]

Are the Psalms your Prayer Book?

In my prayer life recently, the Psalms have taken a central role. Longing for more intimacy with God, I listened with great interest as our pastor (my son-in-law, Dirk Gieser) introduced his summer sermon series on selected Psalms. And, inspired by his series, I have begun to read a selection of Psalms every day following the chart that he gave us. Reading the Psalms in this way gives one a wonderful balanced “meal” of God’s word. [ii]

There are many ways in which the reading of the Psalms strikes us differently than it did God’s people 3,000 years ago. For one thing, we have the help of our mobile phones that read the scriptures to us and in multiple versions so that we can understand better. As wonderful as that is, my experience has been to gravitate to sloppiness and inattention. Now, because of many physical challenges in recent days, including sleeplessness, I had come to depend on my phone to read the scriptures to me daily. So, as wonderful as it is to have my phone reading to me, I found I was not able to keep my mind on the reading and felt my intimacy with God growing cold.

Very soon after beginning to read five Psalms per day God spoke to my heart that I needed to read them out loud. The result was instantly glorious! Reading out loud has changed the course of my morning quiet times once more toward a disciplined mind and a quieted heart in intimate fellowship with God.

For ages, scriptures were read out loud and the emotional impact on the reader could not be kept private as easily as it is today. Because God’s word has power to change us and move us, when read out loud the words that jump off the page by God’s Spirit are spontaneously emphasized in the tone of our voice. And as we are led to pause, re-read and ponder the word pressed upon us, a doorway in the heart opens to God’s voice.

Are you struggling to find intimacy with God in which you can hear His voice and begin to understand His heart in your life?

Try reading out loud…

As I conclude, I pray that you and I will continue to grow in joy and peace of intimacy with God. As you experiment with reading the Psalms out loud, I would welcome your comment on how that practice enhances your focus and understanding of God’s message to your heart.

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV

Additional Thoughts…

In “The Prayer Book of the Psalms — Part 2“ I would like to share with you two things that I have noticed while reading the Psalms out loud. I hope you’ll be able to see that post as well.

Shalom!

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[i]  How to Pray the Psalms — Benjamin Kandt; “How to Pray the Psalms,” Christopher Ash; Praying With the Psalms (St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Ancaster, Ontario); The Psalms as the Prayerbook of Jesus and the Church [From “The Christ Key: Unlocking the Centrality of Christ in the Old Testament” by Chad Bird (1517 Publishing, 2021), pgs. 170-173]

[ii] One of Pastor Gieser’s gifts to us at the beginning of June was a chart with a simple method for reading 5 psalms per day for a month (starting with the psalm corresponding to the day of the month, adding 30 to that number, etc.).