A few years ago, my prayer life needed a change. I was praying daily and often, but something was missing. A friend recommended a small book to me, Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney. In that short book, the author recommended praying the psalms as part of one’s daily prayer rhythm. My prayer life changed and so did my understanding of the psalms as I took a deeper dive into these beautiful words for over two years.
In my journey I was reminded of several truths related to the psalms. The psalms are a collection of inspired Hebrew prayers and hymns. They are words from God, spoken to God or about God. They are God’s Word. The psalms are His Word and His words. They help us express ourselves to God and to consider His ways. The psalms are a great benefit to the believer who looks to the Bible for help in expressing joys, sorrows, successes, failures, hopes, regrets, or simply to worship.
The Psalms as Poetry
Hebrew poetry, by its nature, was addressed to the mind through the heart. The language is intentionally emotive. The psalms themselves are musical poems. Once again, appealing to the emotions, the psalms often evoke feelings that are to stimulate a response. The vocabulary of poetry is purposefully metaphorical.
The Types of Psalms
There are many types of psalms. There are psalms of lament that express deep trust in God, helping a person to express struggles, suffering, and disappointment to the Lord. (See Ps. 3; 12; 22; 44; 80.) There are psalms of thanksgiving such as Psalm 30, 34, 65, 116, and 138. They express joy to the Lord because something has gone well, circumstances were good, or because people had a reason to render thanks to God for His faithfulness, protection, and benefits.
There are hymns of praise centered on the praise of God for who God is, for God’s greatness and His benefits toward the whole earth (not just His people). Some salvation or history psalms focus on God’s saving works among the people of Israel—their deliverance from Egypt and His creation of them as a people.
There are psalms of celebration, affirmation, and covenant renewal liturgies woven throughout this ancient Hebrew poetry, along with wisdom and songs of trust. Ultimately, the psalms remind us that God can be trusted, and even in times of despair, God’s goodness and care for His people ought to be expressed. See the chart below to look at the different genres found in the book of Psalms.
Three Basic Benefits of the Psalms
1. The psalms can serve as a guide to worship.
The worshiper who seeks to praise God or appeal to God or wants to remember His benefits can read the psalms as an expression of her thoughts and feelings.
2. The psalms demonstrate to us how we can relate honestly to God.
The psalms give us by example instruction in godly articulation of even our strongest feelings. They show us how to be honest and open in expressing joy, disappointment, anger, or other emotions in a healthy way.
3. The psalms demonstrate the importance of reflection and meditation on that which God has done for us.
The psalms invite us to prayer. They lift us to a position where we can commune with God, reminding us that God is with us. To cry out to God for help is not a judgment on God’s faithfulness but an affirmation of it.
Develop a Rhythm to Pray the Psalms
The challenge given by Dr. Whitney in his book was to pray the Bible by picking a psalm based on the day’s date and to pray through all the psalms in one month. For example, on January 1, 2025, I would pray Psalm 1, 30, 60, 90, 110, or 140. On January 2, I would pray Psalm 2, 31, 61, 91, 111, or 141. By praying in increments of 30, I could pray through all 150 psalms in one month.
As I started this rhythm, I was determined to read through and cover all five psalms each day. But within a week, I learned to slow down, pause, and allow God to set the pace of my reading and praying. Some days I would get through several of the psalms, while other days I would read, reflect, and pray in just one psalm or only a few verses. Over time my prayer life became richer, deeper, and more meaningful. My heart was more in tune with God’s heart.
So here I am, several years later, still praying the psalms. I’ve used this method to pray through several other books of the Bible as well. But my love for the devotional nature of praying the psalms continues to bring me back to these beautiful words like lyrics from a song. I imagine they did the same for God’s people when they first wrote, read, and sang them.
Praying the psalms changed my prayer life. And I hope praying the psalms will give you a fresh start with your prayer life in the new year as well!
ABOUT MICHELLE HICKS
Michelle Hicks is the managing editor for Journey devotional magazine with Lifeway Women. Michelle served as a freelance writer, campus minister, and corporate chaplain before coming to Lifeway. She is a graduate of the University of North Texas and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Michelle has a deep hunger for God’s Word and wants others to discover the abundant life they can have with Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
For a deeper look at the psalms, check out the As for Me Bible study by Adrienne Camp. Plus, hear Adrienne share why it’s important to look for Jesus in the psalms on the MARKED Podcast.
