WEEK 5 |
psalms this week |
"Nothing is more essential for the Christian, or more neglected, than prayer." |
Psalms 13, 14, and 15.
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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 13
Read Psalm 13. We have seen before and we will see again the Psalmist's urgent question: "How long?" In the particular case of Psalm 13, however, the Psalmist elaborates. It is not just a vague expression of urgency. Rather, he is detailed and specific. He is asking the Lord "how long" for several distinct matters which ought not to be blurred together. In order to guarantee that we recognize the specific things the Psalmist is saying, rewrite verses 1 and 2 in new words to help you think through precisely what he is saying.
As we endeavor to learn how to pray from the Psalmist, perhaps we ought also to be specific in expressing our versions of "how long?" Itemize before the Lord those areas of life where you so deeply wish that you knew how much longer it would be before your prayer would be answered, before His will would be done. In verses 3 and 4, the Psalmist prays an "or else" section. That is to say, he pleads for the Lord's help, and he says what he fears will happen if the Lord does not help. Spend a few minutes writing and praying your own "or else" prayer. Say to the Lord what you are afraid will happen if He does not help, if He does not intervene, if He does not answer. Verses 5 and 6 bring this Psalm to a sense of resolution. The situation itself is not resolved yet -- that is, there is no indication that the circumstances of the Psalmist have suddenly changed. But the prayer is resolved by affirming what the Psalmist knows and believes about the Lord. As a response to whatever your "how long" cry and circumstance may be, write out and pray what you affirm about the Lord today. |
Psalm 14
Read Psalm 14. Strictly speaking, this Psalm is not a prayer in the sense of being addressed and spoken to God. Accordingly, jot down after each verse what you understand the Psalmist to be doing in that verse. Is he complaining about something? Is he declaring something? Is he expressing a desire for something? Summarize what the Psalmist is doing in Psalm 14.
Having evaluated what the Psalmist is doing in Psalm 14, contemplate why such a piece is included in a book that is mostly prayers. In what ways is Psalm 14 like a prayer? What does it have in common with prayers? Most of the lines in Psalm 14 are written as declarative statements. The Psalmist is expressing what he believes to be true. Even the questions of verse 4 imply assessments of what is true. Consider each individual statement in the Psalm, and say to the Lord to what extent you believe that statement is still true today. In verse 1, the Psalmist describes both what certain people believe and what those people do. What do you understand to be the relationship between those two things in that verse? What do you understand to be the relationship between those two things in general? Consider Psalm 14:2 in light of the stories found in Mark 11:12-20. Talk to the Lord about the two passages. What do they reveal about Him? What do they say to us? When the Psalmist says in verse 2 what the Lord looks for, two descriptions are used. Talk to the Lord about the relationship between those two descriptions. |
Psalm 15
Read Psalm 15. In verse 1, the Psalmist seems to be referring to the place of worship, which the people of Israel also regarded as uniquely the place of God's presence. Write down what you understand the Psalmist to be thinking and feeling in verse 1. What other biblical characters illustrate for you that same feeling? What has been your own personal experience of that feeling?
The Psalmist begins by addressing a question to the Lord, but then proceeds to offer his own answers. To what extent do you believe that the Lord has given His answer to this question in Scripture? What do you understand that answer to be? Turn verses 2-5a into a list. Rewrite that list in your own words. Try to fully explore the meaning of each item by thinking in terms of both positive and negative expressions. For example, "does not put out his money at interest" is a negative ("does not") expression; what might be a positive ("does") way of expressing the same thing? Reviewing the list you have rewritten, reflect on the role of other people (that is, the treatment of other people) in that list. Reviewing the list that you have rewritten, reflect on the role of the tongue in that list. Reflect on Psalm 15 in light of Matthew 22:35-40. Talk to the Lord about your reflections. Reflect on Psalm 15 in light of Matthew 12:35-37 and 15:10-20. Talk to the Lord about your reflections. Review again the list that you have rewritten. Talk with the Lord candidly about each item on the list. Which of these describes you? |
* 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.”