The easiest way to pray the psalms is to read them meditatively and allow them to shape our prayers, rather than trying to fit our prayers into the psalms. Traditionally, the psalms have been read daily; in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, it is possible to read through the whole book in a month by reading a selection of psalms each morning and evening. Other Bible reading schemes include a psalm, or portion of a psalm, each day so that in the course of a year, the whole book is covered. This allows for a more leisurely meditation of the Psalms. Reading them in different versions can help us to retain freshness so that familiarity doesn’t breed contempt.
The Psalms force us to look at different situations and emotions and show us how people bring these to God and cry out to Him. The most basic prayers are ‘Thank You!’ and ‘Help!’, but in the Psalms, we also discover laments, complaints, thanksgiving, despair, hope, confidence and trust. We discover, in effect, that there is nothing too small and nothing too big for God. They are often read individually, but also form the basis of our collective prayer, helping us to see God as He reveals Himself rather than as we may imagine Him to be.
Take a psalm a day and let it shape your prayers!
