by Pastor Paul Dugan
Try using this three-part rhythm to cultivate a heart of wisdom…
Part I: Become present to the presence of God:
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. (Ps 90:14)
Pause for silence before him. Slowly inhale, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Slowly exhale, and release any burdens you are carrying into this time of prayer. Repeat this breathing prayer until you have brought your whole self - your body, thoughts, emotions, desires and your imagination (‘as-is’) - into the presence of God.
Preparing to pray a psalm of wisdom:
Wisdom in the Hebrew Scriptures is not the same thing as ‘smarts.’ It is possible to be a smart fool. Neither is wisdom a ‘secret knowledge’ possessed by a mystically-gifted elite. Wisdom is the practical skill of making good choices in the sight of God, of being oriented around God in the everyday stuff of life.
Psalms of wisdom often include proverbs with short memorable sayings, contrasting light with darkness, good with evil, and the righteous with the wicked.
Key words to look for in wisdom psalms: righteous, wicked, wise, foolish, blessed, fear of the Lord, law of the Lord. Examples of psalms of wisdom: Psalm 1, 14, 15, 19, 37, 49, 73, 112, 119, 127, 128, 133.
Part II: Slowly read Psalm 1 (NLT) out loud:
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
4 But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.
6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
Part III: Use your own words to pray Psalm 1 back to God:
"I lament the sorrow and pain in my life and world that has resulted from unwise choices... (yours and others’)
“I thank you God for giving us clear boundaries, for defining for us what is true and false, good and evil, wise and foolish. And thank you for giving us the freedom to choose the good. I bring to you the choices that are before me today… (ex, how you invest your time, thoughts, words, relationships, money, abilities, body, etc.)
“Make me like a fruitful tree, planted in your…
The psalms were originally written as lyrics. They have been sung by the people of God throughout the history of Israel and the church. Take time to listen to a version of Psalm 1 set to music…
From the album Worship and the Word, Vol 2 (2022) by Shane and Shane. shaneandshane.com
From the album “Songs for the Journey Vol. 1” (2014), by The Shiyr Poets.
From the album By the Streams (2016) by Jonathan Ogden.
For links to individual guides for more than one hundred different psalms click here.
For more on the Psalms:
Here is an introduction to the Book of Psalms.
For a list of psalms by literary style (genre) click here.
For an introduction to the narrative arc of the psalms, see Spirituality of the Psalms, by Walter Brueggemann.