ChosenRebel's Blog

For about two decades, I have been using the book of Psalms as the scaffold for my prayer life. It is a simple plan. I simply look at the calendar, today its January 1. I open my Bible, turn to Psalm 1 and use it to give me the language for whatever I am praying for. Its words become the foundation to wrap all my requests, praises and thanksgiving around. 

Here’s an example from verse 1:

“How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the way of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”

“Lord, thank you for the blessings promised in Your word to those who refuse to walk in the counsel that opposes Your will. Help me to never stand in the way of sinners. I want to walk with You Lord so keep me from ever getting comfortable with those who love to scoff at the things of the Spirit. Keep me from stumbling. I want to bring glory to You with the life I live so give me discernment to see the way of the wicked, so that like Job, I can “turn away from evil” (Job 1:8). Give me grace Lord. I need it. I need You and Your presence every day. Help my children to choose You and Your will today. In every temptation to move away from Your will, draw them back to the things they were taught so that they will live by Your counsel rather than the way of the world.”

Prayer prayed, I will then move on to the second verse and use it to scaffold and direct my heart in what it should pray. Sometimes, I will pray through a whole psalm and then I will turn 30 psalms ahead and continue to pray using that psalm.

Why Pray this Way?

1. It (the book of Psalms) was the prayer book of Israel and thus is appropriate for the people of God in every generation.
2. It was the prayer book of Jesus. Enough said.
3. It was the prayer book of the early church. (Acts 2:42) “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Those last three words are important and yet, often, misunderstood. Literally, the Greek text does not say “prayer” but “prayers.” The plural, that is often lost in our modern translations, almost certainly refers to one of two things. Either, to the daily “hours of prayer” or, more likely, to the book of psalms, the prayers of Israel. If it was good for the early church, it is good for us.
4. It is filled with prayers for every occasion and situation in life.
5. Its words are inspired by the Spirit of God and thus gives us language and subjects fit for the ears of God.
6. It keeps us from praying the same things over and over.
7. It gives us a language to shape the substance of our prayers according to the will of God.
8. It helps us to stay focused in the prayer time that we have available to us.