I wrote the following for one of my Spiritual Practices lessons. I hope that these lists can help you to use the psalms prayerfully and devotionally.
Choosing a Psalm
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When you feel the emotion below, try reading:
o
Angry: 37, 80
o
Despair: 13, 31, 38
o
Fear: 9, 27, 46, 91
o
Humble: 131, 149
o
Joy: 33, 126
o
Praise: 8, 48, 65, 66, 67, 84, 92, 95, 96, 100, 113, 145, 146, 148, 150
o
Cancer (underlying chaos of creation): 81, 96
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When you need God to give you the following, try reading:
o
Charity: 105, 111
o
Comfort: 23, 57
o
Courage: 18, 141
o
Guidance: 25, 51
o
Hope: 34, 42, 71, 85, 102, 128, 130
o
Healing: 6, 30, 41
o
Protection: 5, 32, 61, 121, 124, 138
o
Trust: 16, 27, 63, 103, 115, 125
o
Help: 17, 26, 36, 54, 69, 89, 139, 140, 143
§ Adapted from The
Bible Promise Book, Barbour Publishing, 1990 and The Lutheran Study
Bible, Augsburg Fortress, 2009, p. 849-50.
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Types of Psalms and their examples:
o
Communal lament: 44, 60, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85, 137
o
Penitential psalms (confessions of sin): 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143
o
Thanksgiving Psalms: 18, 30, 34, 92, 138
o
Psalms of Zion: 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 122, 132
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Famous Psalms:
o
22 – My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
o
23 – The Lord is my Shepherd
o
42 – As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O
God.
o
46 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
o
110 – The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand.”
o
117 – Shortest Psalm
o
119 – the LONG acrostic
o
121 – I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come?
o
130 – Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
o
136 – For God’s steadfast love endures forever.
o
137 – By the rivers of Babylon – there we sat down and there we wept.
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Other Resources:
o Daily
Psalm Lectionary: http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Worship/Daily-Lectionary.aspx
(Click on Year C. Then click on Time after Pentecost.)
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