Psalm Prayer Guide Week 2
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This weeks prayer guide will be a bit different, we will be doing a style of prayer called Lectio Divina, which simply means Divine reading. Don’t freak out, I promise you this is an awesome way to pray the scriptures! This is a practice that somewhere in history the church lost, which I think has broken our prayer life. There are 4 steps to this type of prayer:
Read: Read the scripture; in this case read Psalm 3. out loud.
Reflect: What is God saying to me through this scripture?
Pray: Physically and audible pray! You read it right, pray out loud. Again I know this can be scary, but there is something very powerful about hearing our prayers audibly.
Listen: This is where we sit and listen to God. I realize this may be somewhat foreign and strange. It also can feel like a lot of pressure: what if I do not hear from God, what if I do not receive any revelation, am I praying wrong? Am I letting God down? Ok, calm down and breathe. God is in control, and God may speak to you in this time, but maybe He wont. Either way it is ok, because God is in control. Spending time with God is always good, so if nothing else you will be spending time with the Father!
Read the scripture one more time, and thank God for it!
Each day you will follow these five steps, Monday-Wednesday I will give you a script and some reflections; but on Thursday and Friday you will be on your own to really sit with the scripture and be curious about what God wants to say to you! And then how you respond to God through your prayer! Its about having a conversation with God!
A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.
Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”
But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.
I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.
Monday:
Read: Psalm 3 out loud.
Reflect: What fears do you have around prayer? Are there any? Are you afraid that God does not hear you? Are you afraid that God will not answer your prayers? Are you afraid that you are not good enough? Be honest with God about your fears. God knows what they are anyway!
Pray: God I have often wondered why we have fear? Why do I allow things to worry me and make me afraid. I really want to trust you. I really want to be that person who has no fear because I trust you so much! The thing is, I do have fears. I hope I am not letting you down. That is one of my fears, I do not want to let you down. Sometimes God I feel like I have lost myself. Sometimes I am not really sure who I am. Sometimes I let other people tell me who I am and who I should be. God I want You to tell me who I am and who I should be. Help me this week to listen to You! Allow me to hear Your voice as I learn how to pray in a new and different way! As I hear Your voice God, allow me to know when it is You, and when it is something else! My prayer God is that You will help me to act on what You teach me; please let me see myself the way You see me! In Jesus name; Amen!
Listen: Sit in this as long as you are comfortable with, maybe it is 2 minutes, maybe it is 20 minutes. Still yourself, and try to avoid distractions like music, or other types of stimulus. Just sit with God!
Read Psalms 3 out loud one more time! Thank God for His word!
Tuesday
Read: Psalm 3 out loud.
Reflect: During this Psalm David is on the run from his son Absalom. Can you imagine how terrible it would be for your own son to want to kill you? He and over 14 thousand people are chasing David, they want to kill him. But they also are saying that God is no longer with David. Reread Psalm 3:2
Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”
What they are saying about David is more devastating to David then their plan to kill him. They are saying that God will not save him! Or basically that God is no longer with him. Have you ever felt that God has abandoned you? Remember be honest because God knows the truth already.
Pray: God I am not king David. I am not sure that when my days here on earth are over that people will remember as a person after your own heart, like they said about David. I hope they do, but I know I mess things up on a regular basis. God, I cannot imagine the pain and hurt that David went through when he ran for his life from his own son! But God I do know what it is like to feel alone. I know what it is like to be tired and alone. I know what it is like to feel like I am fighting a losing battle. God I have to confess that I also know what it is like to feel like You and I are not as close as I want us to be. (Only pray this if it is true for you) I have to confess that there are times I have felt like You are no where to be found! I know Your word says that You will never leave me, but I sometimes I feel like people are saying “God will not deliver (insert your name)” While I know in my heart that is a lie, sometimes I allow my insecurities to prevent me from completely putting my trust in You! Please forgive me God! God I pray that as I continue to work on my prayer life that You will help to grow closer to You, so that I can put my trust in You more and more each day! In Jesus name; Amen!
Listen:
Read: Psalms 3 out loud one more time. Thank God for His word!
Wednesday:
Read: Psalm 3 out loud.
Reflect: David is on the run for his life. People are slandering his name, and he himself made a complete and total mess out of his life. (Go back and read the story of Davids life. in 1st and 2nd Samuel). Yet somehow he figures out how to remind himself that his entire worth is in God. Notice Psalm 3: 3
But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
What do you think it looks like that God is our shield? Ask yourself what kind of a shield do you need? Who or what do you need to be shielded from? Remember that a shield does not
prevent bad things from happening, but it saves our lives when those things happen.
Pray: God I pray that You will be my shield! I pray that You will protect me. I pray that You
will protect my heart! God I am sorry if I have blamed You for bad things that have
happened in my life; that is not fair, and You never promised to stop those bad things
from happening. You did promise that You would be with me during those times of attack, and that You would be my shield. I am so happy that You are still here for me! I am so thankful that You are still on your Holy Hill! I am so thankful that Jesus paid my debt, and through His sacrifice I can come to You! God I pray that I can have the peace that David felt when he laid down and got a great nights sleep even when his life way in danger. That night when he slept, all of the stuff he was dealing with was still going on,his life was still in danger; but he was able to sleep because he had faith in You! I can imagine when he went to sleep that night he did not know if he was going to wake up the next morning, but he put his trust in You! God I want to have that type of trust and faith in You; in Jesus name I pray, Amen!
4. Listen:
5. Read: Psalm 3 out loud one more time. Thank God for His word!
Thursday:
Read: Psalm 3 out loud
Reflect: What is God saying to you through this Psalm.
Pray: What do you want to say to God? What is going on in your life? What emotions come up when you read this Psalm? Have you told God how much you love Him today? Are you hearing from the Holy Spirit? If not how is your devotional life? in what ways do you need God to strengthen you?
Listen:
Read: Read Psalm 3 out loud one more time. Thank God for His word.
Friday:
Read: Psalm 3 out loud.
Reflect: Over the last five days what in this Psalm has challenged you? Do you have the same fears you had when you started this process? How has God spoken to you through this type of prayer? Is this something you have enjoyed? Will you continue to do it?
Pray: Give all of your fears to God! Read Psalm 3: 8
From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.
Remember as you pray that God is in control! So give it all to Him!
Listen:
Read: Psalm 3 out loud one more time. Thank God for His word.