WEEK 21 |
psalms this week |
"God often declares that he will give to us in proportion to our faith. The logical conclusion is that we receive nothing without faith. Everything that results from prayer is obtained by faith." |
Psalms 61, 62, and 63
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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 61
Read Psalm 61. This Psalm is a prayer from start to finish: that is to say, it is entirely addressed to God. As you read, make a list of the things that the Psalmist says God has done.
Talk to the Lord about the list you have just made. To what extent does that list reflect your own experience of the Lord, as well? As you read through Psalm 61 again, make a list of the things that the Psalmist is asking God to do. Talk to the Lord about the list you have just made. To what extent does it echo your prayers, either now or at other times in your life? Read Psalm 58 with an eye toward locations. Some may be figurative locations; others are literal. In either case, as you read, answer these questions:
Talk to the Lord about "locations." When have you felt like you were in the place(s) that the Psalmist perceived himself to be? When have you desired to be in the place(s) that the Psalmist desired? Talk to the Lord more about "locations." Talk to Him about where you are now. Talk to Him about where you want to be. Twice the Psalmist refers to his vows (verses 5 and 8). He does not elaborate on those vows, but they seem to figure prominently in his mind and in his prayer. Contemplate what he is saying about his vows. Based on what the Psalmist says in verses 5 and 8, what does he assume that his vows mean to the Lord? Talk to the Lord about that question and about your answer. Perhaps it is advantageous to us that we do not know the specifics of the Psalmist's vows. If we did, we might get bogged down in those details, and they would put a distance between us and the Psalm. As it is, the references are generic enough for us to be able to climb into the Psalm in a more personal way. What is your own version of the Psalmist's vows? What in your life and walk with the Lord plays the same role as the vows do in Psalm 61? In the ESV, the second half of verse 7 reads this way: "Appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!" Read the second half of verse 7 in a variety of translations. There are four key words to consider: two verbs and two nouns. After reviewing several translations, how would you define the underlying meaning of "appoint"? How would you define the meaning of "watch over"? How would you define "steadfast love"? How would you define "faithfulness"? Make the second half of verse 7 your prayer for someone you know. With that person in mind, intercede for him or for her, using your own, full and thoughtful understanding of the words of 7b as the basis for your prayer. |
Psalm 62
Read Psalm 62. As you read, evaluate the Psalm one verse at a time. For each, individual verse, try to identify the answers to these questions:
Focusing for the present on the people to whom the Psalmist speaks along the way, how would you characterize them? What is the Psalmist's motive and mood in addressing them? Now turn your attention to all that the Psalmist says about God. Make a list of the things that he affirms or declares or believes about the Lord. Review the list you just made. Talk to the Lord about it. Talk to Him about the extent to which the Psalmist's list resonates with your experience. Talk to Him about anything on the Psalmist's list that is new or different or unfamiliar to you. Verses 1 and 5 are very similar Write them out side by side. Talk to the Lord about both verses -- what they say, what they mean, and the meaning of the slight differences. Verses 1-2 and 5-6 are very similar. Why do you think it was necessary or important for the Psalmist to say essentially the same thing in the middle of his Psalm as he had said at the beginning? Read verses 1 and 5 in multiple translations. Once you have a sense for what the Psalmist is saying, rewrite those verses in your own words. Verses 2 and 6 use picturesque language to express the Psalmist's experience of and trust in the Lord. The imagery of those verses, however, reflect a very different context. Accordingly, rewrite verses 2 and 6 in your own words, using imagery that is meaningful in our day and in your context. Once you have rewritten the assigned verses, compose your own prayer: specifically, a prayer that reflects some trouble you are having or some difficulty you are facing. Speak aloud your version of verses 1-2 at the beginning of your prayer, and then speak aloud your version of verses 5-6 in the midst of your prayer. Read verse 8 in several translations. To whom is the Psalmist speaking? What is the thrust of what he is saying? Verse 8 is a word of faith and encouragement that the Psalmist is speaking to some other people. It is, no doubt, a word that many people need to hear. To whom do you need to say verse 8? Who do you know who needs to hear verse 8? What is the relationship between verse 9 and verse 10? What is the relationship between those two verses and the rest of the Psalm? In Psalm 62, the Psalmist does not address God directly until the final verse. To what extent does that final verse seem like an appropriate end to this Psalm? What can you learn from the Psalmist about prayer in light of the overall composition and content of this Psalm and in light of its final verse? |
Psalm 63
Read Psalm 63. The Psalm is addressed almost entirely to God, and it features a particular emphasis on the Psalmist's relationship with God. Make a list of the things that the Psalmist says about that relationship -- that is, what he has experienced, what he does, what he will do, and such.
Review the list you have just made in prayer. Talk to the Lord about the Psalmist's list, and about which elements on it especially resonate with your heart and your experience. Read Psalm 63 with an eye toward the theme of places. What are the different places where the Psalmist pictures himself? How are the various places connected to his relationship to the Lord? Psalm 63 begins with the Psalmist expressing his longing for God. Yet the imagery that he uses may not naturally resonate with our own experience. Rather than a dry, waterless land, therefore, what metaphor would you use to express desperate longing? How would you express verse 1? We affirm God's omnipresence. The Psalmist does, too, as indicated by the fact that he is talking to the Lord from wherever he is. Yet still there is this expressed longing for God. What do you suppose the Psalmist is feeling? Why do you imagine he might be feeling that way? When have you felt similarly? Read verse 3 in multiple translations. Pay special attention to the ways that English translations try to express the Hebrew word for God's love. Jot down a few of the words or phrase used. With those words and phrases before you, read:
In verse 3, the Psalmist affirms that God's love is better than life.
In verse 6, the Psalmist specifically refers to how he thinks of the Lord at night and in bed. What do you typically think about in bed? What is usually on your mind at night? The final three verses of Psalm 63 are expressions of the Psalmist's confidence. What seems to be his general assumption? What is the basis for his confidence? To what extent is this sort of bold affirmation of what you believe will happen a part of your own prayer life? |
* 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.”