“The more deeply we grow into the psalms and the more often we pray them as our own, the more simple and rich will our prayer become.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Sometimes there are moments when life consumes and your heart feels gagged in the ability to lift up any words in prayer. Sometimes the clouds of our life overshadow us and we can’t find the words to say to Him. At other times, we have plenty to say and are experiencing a rich and beautiful time with Him. No matter where you are in your prayer life, meditating on His word through the Psalms offers us a deep and divine place to experience Him.
His words of truth and goodness bring forth life. Here is a Psalm that has been on my heart lately. I wrote down some of the words and thoughts that came to me as I meditated on this Psalm.
Psalm 30
I will exalt you, LORD, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.
Psalm 30:1
I seek to be in a posture of worship and gratitude to the One who rescued. May the fullness of that rescue be felt deep as it resonates in and through my worship.
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.
Psalm 30:2
I acknowledge that in my worst moment of depravity and soul-marring sickness, He heard my cry; He redeemed and restored.
You brought me up from the grave, O LORD. You kept me from falling into the pit of death.
Psalm 30:3
I can see the place of certain and eternal death that I was cascading fully into. I can see how He reached down and brought me up to a place of beauty and life for eternity.
Sing to the LORD, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name.
Psalm 30:4
I have placed my hope and trust in Him–may my words and thoughts echo the awe of a now-rescued soul.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 30:5
Where His holiness demanded separation, He provided a way that those who are His find His love and mercy…forever. His covenant of grace is fully extended to me. In a fallen and broken world, where sin roams freely, a sovereign Lord binds my redeemed heart to His. My sorrow experienced here on earth is comforted by the hope I have in the eternal place of joy to come.
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Challenge yourself.
Choose a psalm to read and pray daily, for a week or a month. Let the words draw you closer to Him. Let the words grow your understanding and knowledge of who He is.
“The delightful study of the Psalms has yielded me boundless profit and ever-growing pleasure; common gratitude constrains me to communicate to others a portion of the benefit, with the prayer that it may induce them to search further for themselves.”
― Charles Spurgeon, preface to The Treasury of David
Be Challenged & Encouraged by these Posts too!
Melissa, this post on Experiencing the Psalms has been sticking closely to my heart. Here over a week later, my heart and mind are still pondering it and Psalms have started making their way to the forefront of my mind. Most recently and persistently Psalm 121:2 is beating continuously in my life – “My help come from the Lord; the maker of heaven and earth!”
Thank you for this challenge! Bless you as you continue to encourage us in the Lord’s amazing ways.
The Psalms are so beautiful. Always provides the right thing at the right time
Battling depression for most of my life, Psalms has become a close friend. It nurtured my soul and on my worst of days – in the past – I found myself often repeating the same song over and over again just to etch it on the tablet of my heart. great article!
I LOVE the Psalms. Many times they express the cry of my soul so well!
That’s a great idea – I think I may start doing that 🙂
I prayed the entire book of Jeremiah during October-November. It was a powerful experience! My bible reading plan currently has me reading Psalms and proverbs daily.
Hi, Melissa! I have been memorizing Psalm 91 these past few weeks and what a tremendous blessing it has been to my heart and in my prayer life as I pray for others. I agree there is something very special about the Psalms which stirs my heart for more of God
This is a wonderful suggestion! It’s so easy to get in a rut and begin saying rote prayers of our own making. How refreshing to look to God’s word and get insight from “a man after God’s own heart” to learn how to approach our King!
I love reading and praying through the psalms! They pictures, not sinless people, but those who possess struggles like any other, but ultimately place their hope in their Savior. God reminds me through the psalms that it is ok to lament and bringing Him the things that weigh down my heart keep me from despair.
There is nothing like praying the word to bring life and hope. Nothing compares.
I adore going into Psalms to find Scripture I can then pray. So many emotions and situations are there.