WEEK 12 |
psalms this week |
"I have no doubt at all that if they are the subject of our thoughts they must be the subject of our prayers -- whether in penitence or in petition or in a little of both." |
Psalms 34, 35, and 36.
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introduction to the Series
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Most of what we learn how to do, we learn from other people. Sometimes it is the learning that comes from specific and deliberate instruction. At other times it is the learning that comes by way of example and imitation. During 2023, our endeavor is to learn how to pray from the Psalmist.*
The Book of Psalms is the longest book in the Bible, and it is mostly a book of prayers. We will spend the year going through the book, beginning to end, and letting the Psalmist teach us by example how to pray. |
In this endeavor, we cannot benefit from his deliberate instruction, of course. What we can do, however, is take full advantage of his example. We will observe how he prays, and we will learn to imitate him.
Our approach will be week by week. The recommended practices and exercises are not daily, but rather suggestions for an individual to implement throughout the whole week. |
Exercises for this week
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Psalm 34
Read Psalm 34. As you read, make a list of all the things that the Psalmist says the Lord did or does.
Reflect on the list above.
Read through the Psalm again, this time making a list of the things that the audience is called upon or encouraged to do. Talk to the Lord about the matters on this new list. Talk to Him about which things you do and why. Talk to Him about which things you do not do and why. Rewrite verse 1 in your own words. The superscription attributes this Psalm to David. We know that other Psalms by David are confessions, laments, pleas for help, and more. Does that make Psalm 34:1 hyperbole? Or is it possible to stay true to 34:1 while at the same time confessing? While at the same time lamenting? While at the same time crying out for help? And, if it's possible, make that a part of your aim this week in prayer. Rewrite verse 3 in your own words. Make it your own. Read through the Psalm again. This time, make a list of the different types or categories of people mentioned. Next to each type, write down what the Lord does to or for those people. Reflecting on this latest list, consider biblical examples of each point. Reflecting on this latest list: what truths does it reveal about the Lord? What do those truths mean to you? We have noted before the parallelism that characterizes Hebrew poetry. In light of that, read verse 8 thoughtfully. What relationship do you see between the first half of this verse and the second? Talk to the Lord about the relationship. Verses 11 and 12 articulate an invitation to righteous living. Verses 13 and 14, in turn, summarize the characteristics of such living. Rewrite those verses in your own words. Make a list of the general behaviors identified in verses 13 and 14. Then, for each item on that list, jot down two or three specific examples of the behavior. Talk to the Lord about your own history and tendencies with each of the behaviors listed in verses 13 and 14. |
Psalm 35
Read Psalm 35. As you read, stop after every few verses and write down what you imagine the Psalmist was feeling as he wrote those words.
Reflect on your notes above. When have you felt each of those things that the Psalmist was feeling? How did your prayers compare at those times to that of the Psalmist? In verse 1, there is a deliberate repetition of verbs -- namely, what the Psalmist's enemies do and what he prays that the Lord will do. What is the wisdom of such a prayer? What is the faith behind it? In what area of your life -- in what thing you are praying for -- might it be meaningful for you to use the same linguistic technique? Much of this Psalm is concerned with other people -- enemies -- and praying for the Lord to rescue the Psalmist and to punish the antagonists. Make a list of what the Psalmist prays that the Lord will do to his enemies. Who or what are (or have been) your enemies. As we have noted in earlier weeks, we are not likely to experience the sort of military conflicts that were so much a part of the Psalmist's life. But we do know what it is to have people who mistreat us, or misrepresent us, or try to do us harm in one way or another. Furthermore, there are other forces and factors in the world that would also harm us. With that broad definition of "enemies" in mind, then, make a list of your enemies. Now, with your own list of enemies before you, pray through the Psalm. Make it your own. And talk to the Lord candidly about which parts of the Psalmist's prayer resonates with you. Which parts are hard for you to pray? Why? What additional things would you like to pray for regarding your enemies? Make a list of the enemies' offenses -- what have they done (or do they do) that is so wrong? In light of their behavior, how do you feel about the Psalmist's prayers about them? Even if we are uncomfortable with some of what the Psalmist wishes would happen to his enemies, talk to the Lord about this Psalm. Ask Him what the virtues and benefits are of such a prayer. In verse 17, the Psalmist asks the Lord, "How long...?" In the translation you are reading, what is the specific "how long" that the Psalmist asks? When have you felt the same thing? When you have felt it, have you said it to God? We have also heard this plaintive cry -- How long? -- in Psalm 6 and Psalm 13. It is a common experience among people of faith. It is precisely because we know that God is just, that He cares, and that He is able that makes us wonder why He isn't acting (or acting faster, at any rate). Because our impatience is based on those truths about Him, our impatience is something of a positive affirmation. In whatever area of your life you may be feeling "How long?", turn the question into a statement of praise -- that is, an affirmation of what you believe about the Lord. |
Psalm 36
Read Psalm 36. The Psalm seems to divide into two distinct parts. The first four verses feature statements about the wicked. Then, in verse 5, the Psalmist begins to address himself to God in prayer. We will consider the parts before we consider the whole. Begin by rewriting verses 1-4 in your own words.
Now undertake an exercise in reversing the text. In other words, inasmuch as verses 1 through 4 describe the wicked, the opposite of each of those statements would probably serve as a helpful description of the righteous. Accordingly, rewrite the first four verses again, but this time reversing the meaning of each statement. (For example, if the Psalmist said, "The wicked tell lies," then you might right, "The righteous speak the truth." Talk to the Lord about your resulting descriptions of both the wicked and the righteous. Talk to Him about the ways in which your life is pleasing to Him. Talk to Him about the ways in which your life could be more pleasing to Him. Read verses 5 through 12 in terms of pronouns. Specifically, identify what the Psalmist says that is:
Reflect on your "pronoun lists" discoveries. What does each set (1st person, 2nd person, and 3rd person) reveal about the Lord? Focus specifically now on the Psalmist's first-person statements. Which ones can you say along with him? Speak those things to the Lord. Verses 5 and 6 read like a mini Psalm of praise. They employ highly picturesque language to try to describe the character of God. Rewrite those verses in your own words, using different imagery that is meaningful to you as you try to describe the same truths about Him. Verses 10 and 11 seem to be the extent of this Psalm's petitions. To what extent does what the Psalmist asks for resonate with your own heart and experience? Talk with the Lord about your heart's versions of those petitions. Borrowing the following outline, jot down what you perceive to be the theme of each section of the Psalm:
Reviewing the summary of the themes, re-express the flow of thought for the Psalm from beginning to end in one or two prose sentences. |
* We will refer to the author as “the Psalmist,” though of course not all of the Psalms were written by the same person. A significant number are attributed to David. Others are associated with Asaph, the sons of Korah, and an assortment of other individuals. Also, several dozen Psalms have no name attached to them. For the sake of ease and uniformity, we will simply refer to “the Psalmist.”