{{item.title | uppercase}}

{{item.authdes}}

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice.
Psalm 130:1-2 NIV

Are you having trouble praying these days? Your mind can’t concentrate, or you can’t put together a complete sentence, or you can’t put your feelings into words. Grief can do that to you.

My friend Laurel shared with me that she has had trouble praying since her husband passed away a couple of years ago. Because it gnawed at her, she went to her priest who counseled her to turn to the psalms. The priest advised her to start writing down verses that spoke to her. These verses would be the messages in which she would find comfort and words to use in prayer.

Laurel signed up for a daily e-mail devotional which included a psalm. As she focused on the psalm of each day, meaningful verses became apparent to her. She selected four of the verses, wrote them by hand, and fastened them to her mirror. Every morning, now, as she gets ready for work or any activity, the verses greet her and enable her to greet Our Father in return. She has found her prayer.

I decided to begin re-reading the psalms myself after Laurel shared her story. It did not take me long to find four verses that speak to me:

Answer me when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
Ps. 4:1(NIV)

Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
Ps. 17:7-8 (NIV)

You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
Ps. 18:28 (NIV)

You make known to me the path of life;
Ps. 16:11 (NIV)

But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
Ps. 3:3 (NIV)

Well, I guess you caught me! I know it is more than four verses, but I couldn’t help myself. David wrote his psalms for me and they keep resounding in my ears!

Now I challenge each of you to begin the journey of praying a psalm each day until you have prayed all the psalms. Write down a verse if it sounds meaningful to you. Review those verses at the end of your prayer journey. Select four or so verses and tape them to your mirror. These are your personal prayer, your personal psalm to the Lord!

If you want, share them with us when you get there.

Let us pray:

Praise the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord
or fully declare his praise?
Blessed are those who act justly,
who always do what is right.
Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.
Psalm 106:1-5 (NIV)

AMEN.