Using the Psalms for Personal Devotion

Think of someone whose faith you admire. Maybe it’s a relative or saint of the church. What do you imagine that person doing to nurture or develop their faith? Perhaps its prayer, or meditation, or a regular study of scripture. All of these spiritual disciplines are useful for deepening our faith and our relationship with God. And yet, when we think about developing a regular spiritual practice, we often become overwhelmed. Where should I start? What if I don’t know much about the Bible? What if it’s hard for me to sit still with my own thoughts?

Developing a regular spiritual practice does not come naturally for everyone, and each of us connects with the Spirit in different ways. If you’re feeling a bit lost when it comes to developing a spiritual practice of reading the Bible, I encourage you to consider taking a bit of time with the Psalms. The Psalms are written as poems/songs, and they encompass a wide range of themes. Reading a single Psalm and thinking about what it says will take, at most, five minutes out of your morning. You may decide to start at Psalm 1 and work your way through all 150 of them. Or, take a look at the list of Psalms by theme at the end of this article and work your way through a particular theme or emotion. Once you decide which Psalm to read during your time, you may choose to structure your time with the Psalms in this way:

First, (30 seconds to a minute): Prayer. Say a simple prayer to open up your time. “God, by the power of your Spirit, make my heart attentive to what you have to say to me today, through the reading of your word.”

Next, (1-3 minutes): Read the Psalm. Read through the Psalm aloud or quietly one or two times.

Finally (1-3 minutes): Reflect. Was there any word or phrase that jumped out at you? Any message for today? If nothing comes immediately to mind, don’t be discouraged. Sometimes God’s word steeps and marinates in us and comes back to the surface when we need it most.

A Table of Psalms by Theme*
God the Creator. 8, 19, 33, 65, 111, 104, 145, 147.
God the Redeemer. 15, 33, 102, 103, 111, 113, 114, 126, 130, 138.
God the Judge. 1, 7, 11, 46, 50, 62, 75, 76, 82, 90, 96, 97, 98.
God’s Glory. 18, 29, 99, 36, 46, 148, 150.
God’s Sovereignty. 24, 46, 47, 72, 89, 93, 96, 97, 98, 99, 112, 146, 145.
God’s Wisdom. 33, 104, 111, 113, 139, 145, 147.
God’s Law. 19, 50, 62, 111, 119, 147. 23, 33, 34, 37, 89, 121, 124, 139, 145, 146, 147.
God’s Mercy. 23, 32, 57, 61, 62, 63, 73, 77, 85, 86, 100, 103, 118, 130, 145.
The Incarnation. 2, 8, 85, 89, 102, 110, 111, 113, 132.
The Passion. 22, 40, 42, 54, 69, 88, 116, 130.
The Church. 46, 48, 84, 111, 122, 133, 147.
Worship. 5, 26, 43, 63, 65, 66, 67, 84, 96, 100, 102, 116, 122, 138.
Thanksgiving. 30, 65, 67, 92, 98, 100, 111, 103, 107, 116, 134, 138, 145, 147, 148, 150.
Prayer. 4, 5, 17, 20, 28, 31, 54, 61, 84, 86, 102, 141, 142.
Trust in God. 27, 31, 57, 62, 63, 71, 73, 77, 91, 118, 121, 123, 124, 125, 143, 146.
God our Refuge. 4, 17, 20, 37, 46, 49, 54, 61, 71, 91, 103, 121, 146.
Divine Guidance. 25, 43, 80, 85, 111, 112.
In Time of Trouble. 3, 11, 12, 13, 18, 20, 30, 40, 46, 49, 57, 62, 63, 80, 85, 86, 90, 107, 118, 144, 146.
Righteousness. 1, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 26, 34, 40, 92, 111, 112.
Peace. 29, 46, 76, 85, 98, 100, 124, 125, 126.
The Transitoriness of Life. 39, 49, 90, 102.
The Hope of Immortality. 16, 30, 42, 49, 66, 73, 103, 116, 121, 139, 146.
Morning. 3, 5, 20, 63, 90, 143.
Evening. 4, 13, 16, 17, 31, 77, 91, 121, 134.
Penitential Psalms. 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143.
Preparation for Holy Communion. 23, 25, 26, 36, 41, 43, 63, 84, 85, 86, 122, 130, 133, 139.
Thanksgiving after Holy Communion. 8, 15, 18, 19, 27, 29, 30, 34, 100, 103, 110, 118, 145, 150.

(*This table found at http://bookofhours.org/psalms/tool_themes.htm)

As you give Psalm reading a try this summer, let me know how it goes and what you learned from the Spirit. I believe that if you give it a try over a period of a few weeks, you will come away with new insights about studying the Bible as a spiritual practice.

May God’s Spirit be your guide as you seek to know God better and better this summer.

With gratitude,

Pastor Traci