Embracing the Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible

 

The Book of Psalms is the prayer book of the Bible. There is no greater book to learn how, what, and why to pray than the Psalms. As a young Jewish boy, Jesus would have begun his learning of how to pray from the Psalms. If we want to pray in the power and passion of Jesus, we too must start with the Psalms.

The disciples witnessed the prayer life of Jesus and it's no coincidence one of the few questions they asked Jesus that is recorded was, "Lord, teach us to pray." Jesus responded to their question by giving them a prayer model, what we know of as, "The Lord's Prayer".

Matthew 6:9-13 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (10) ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. (11) ‘Give us this day our daily bread. (12) ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (13) ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’

It's amazing how familiar the themes and structure of the Lord's Prayer are to the Psalms. It's as if Jesus summarized the Psalms for us. Look at the similarities:

Psalms and the Lord's Prayer

1. Focus on Worship and Praise

• Psalms: Many psalms, such as Psalm 103 and Psalm 150, are songs of praise that exalt God's name and express adoration for His greatness, mercy, and faithfulness.
• Lord's Prayer: It begins with worship: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name," acknowledging God's holiness and majesty.

2. Expression of Dependence on God

• Psalms: Throughout the Psalms, there are repeated cries for help, expressions of trust, and recognition of God's provision (Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want").
• Lord's Prayer: The petition, "Give us this day our daily bread," reflects dependence on God for sustenance and provision.

3. Confession and Request for Forgiveness

• Psalms: Psalms like Psalm 51 are deeply confessional, asking for forgiveness and cleansing from sin.
• Lord's Prayer: The line "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" similarly seeks God's forgiveness and emphasizes the importance of forgiving others.

4. Emphasis on God's Kingdom and Will

• Psalms: Many psalms speak of God's sovereignty and His kingdom, such as Psalm 145:13: "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations."
• Lord's Prayer: It includes the request, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," aligning our desires with God's purpose.

5. Recognition of God as Protector and Deliverer

• Psalms: The Psalms often portray God as a refuge and deliverer (Psalm 46: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble").
• Lord's Prayer: It ends with a plea for deliverance: "Deliver us from evil," trusting in God's power to save.

6. Personal and Public Aspects

• Psalms: While some psalms are deeply personal (Psalm 13: "How long, O Lord?"), others are public, intended for use in corporate worship.
• Lord's Prayer: Though communal in nature (use of "our" and "us"), it also encourages personal reflection and relationship with God.

If you want to learn how to pray don't stop with memorizing the Lord's Prayer. It wasn't meant to just be memorized and recited. Jesus never said, "Memorize and recite this to pray." He said, "Pray after this manner..." The fertile ground of the Lord's Prayer is found in the garden of the Psalms.