How to Study the Psalms

The Book of Psalms is a Prayer Book found in the Bible. It is a beautiful guide to prayer by the very breath of God. Our journey through the Psalms is not unique or new. Christians have prayed these words for thousands of years. Even now, the faith we confess echoes these very words back to God in our own spiritual conversation.

Our Study "Praying the Psalms"  has THREE sections:

(1) Study:
What do these words mean to an Old Testament Israelite? Who wrote it and why? How does Hebrew Poetry depict the prayer? A good commentary (by the direction of your Pastor) is helpful to get at the immediate sense of the Psalm.

(2)What does this mean for me?
This is the point where we jump from Old Testament Israel to the 21st Century Christian. The only way we can pray to God is to pray in the name of Jesus. He is the bridge in our right relationship with God. What kind of psalm is this? How did Christ pray it? Only then we begin to learn how to pray.

(3) PRAY:
Lastly, we pray the Words Jesus has given us. The Lord's Prayer contains every prayer we need to communicate with Our Father in Heaven. Our lessons in prayer flow from the ancient Christian Faith, through the atoning work of Christ, filling our hearts with God's own word and His good and gracious will.

Each week I will post the next psalm so that you can follow along! Focus on one petition of the Lord's Prayer each week.

**PLEASE READ**

Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

 I make reference to this small (65 page) booklet throughout the study. Bonhoeffer clearly explains the amazing connection between Christ, the Psalms, and our prayers. It shapes and guides our discussion of Praying the Psalms!