by Pastor Paul Dugan
Try this three-part rhythm for cultivating a heart of gratitude…
Part I: Pause for silence in the presence of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Slowly inhale, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Slowly exhale, and be cleansed of any distractions. Repeat this breathing prayer until you have brought your whole self (“as-is”) into the presence of God.
Reflect on the joys and challenges of the day. What are you thankful for? Where did you see God at work? What do you lament? What do you need to confess?
Part II: Slowly read Psalm 18:1-9; 16-19 (NIV) out loud:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;…
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
Part III: Reflecting on your day, pray your own psalm of thanksgiving:
Describe an experience of pain or difficulty…
Did you call on the Lord? If so, describe how.
Describe your experience of God’s deliverance, provision, or guidance.
Give him your thanks and praise.
The psalms were originally written as lyrics, sung by the people of God. Take time to listen to a version of Psalm 18 set to music.
From the album Songs for the Journey, Vol 2 (2015) by The Shiyr Poets.
From the album Citizens (2013) by Citizens. wearecitizens.net
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.