by Pastor Paul Dugan
Try beginning your prayer with praise, using this three-part rhythm…
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 new day. Repeat this breathing prayer until you have brought your whole self - your thoughts, imagination, desires, and body- (“as-is”) into the presence of God.
Part II: Slowly read Psalm 65 (NIV) out loud:
1 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.
2 You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.
3 When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.
4 Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,
6 who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.
9 You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.
13 The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.
Part III: Use your own words to pray Psalm 65 back to God:
“Lord God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit- I praise you, for who you are…
“I praise you for what you have done. Specifically, I thank you for…
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 65 set to music…
A simple lyric video of "Psalm 65 : Praise awaits you" performed by Sons of Korah from their 2005 album Resurrection.
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.