Praying With the Psalms预览

A Book full of Psalms

“The LORD is my Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1).

The book of Psalms contains 150 very different songs written by different poets. The Psalms express the joys, thanks, struggles, and questions of believers in a way that present-day readers can still understand. Therefore, the Psalms can be a great help for our prayer life. The book of Psalms is divided into five parts. The first part includes Psalm 1-41. Psalm 23 is about God's care for the believer. David, the writer of Psalm 23, took care of his father's flock of sheep while still a boy. He used his own dealings with the sheep as a picture of the care he received from God.

Prayer exercise:

Read this psalm out loud slowly.

Read again (out loud) and use the words as a prayer to God.

While reading, you can add words that come to mind.

For example:

Verse 1: The LORD is my Shepherd, I lack nothing. LORD, I do lack... (fill in your own need), but I want to trust You to take care of me.

Verse 2: He makes me lie down... He leads me beside still waters.

Verse 3: He restores my soul... Thank You Lord, that Your care is always there for me.

Pray through this whole Psalm like this and thank God at the end for His presence.