READING THROUGH THE PSALMS
Welcome, friends! The purpose of this document is to guide you through a yearlong encounter with the book of Psalms. In total, Psalms includes 150 different songs, divided into 5 sections or “books.” We want to encourage everyone in our church to set a goal of studying 5 psalms each week. To help you with this, we have prepared a few questions for reflection/discussion, as well as a brief prayer you can use to focus your time with God. Over the course of this year, the Preaching Team at Revolution will be expanding this document to keep up with you as you read! The book of Psalms is an incredible resource for all Christians, as it does more than perhaps any other book in the Bible to show us a living example of how we communicate, both personally and corporately, with God. We genuinely believe that by spending a year engaging with these texts, our church community will emerge not only with a deeper faith, but also with a clearer understanding of what it means to be people of hope. Thank you for walking alongside us in this project!
— BOOK ONE: Psalms 1-41 —
Psalm 1: The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked
Reflect/Discuss:
What does it suggest that the "blessed man" does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers? Why those 3 verbs?
Think on the comparison the psalmist makes between meditating on the law and a tree planted by streams of water. How might we be challenged by this comparison?
Pray: God, teach me to delight in time spent with you. Give me motivation to read your words and excitement to speak with you.
Psalm 2: The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed
Reflect/Discuss:
Why do the nations, peoples, kings, and rulers in verses 1 and 2 set themselves up against God?
Who might God be talking about when he says, in verse 6, “I have set my King on Zion”?
What does it mean for the Israelites to keep a psalm about God’s authority not only over them but over all the nations?
Pray: God, remind me of your authority, not just over my life, but over all the earth. Help me to trust in you.
Psalm 3: Save Me, O My God
Reflect/Discuss:
The notes for this psalm say it was written by David “when he fled from Absalom his son.” Do a little online research into this story! How might these words fit that situation?
So many of the psalms are about trusting in God to be the one who saves us...instead of trusting in others or trusting in ourselves. Is this hard for you to do? What makes it difficult?
Pray: God, help me to put my full trust in you and you alone to save me when I face difficulties in my life.
Psalm 4: Answer Me When I Call
Reflect/Discuss:
In verse 4, the psalmist instructs us/himself to “Be angry, and...not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.” Do you tend to allow yourself to be angry? Are you able to be angry without lashing out at others? How might pondering and experiencing your anger--without pouring it out on others--actually be helpful to you?
The psalmist says “the Lord hears when I call to him.” Do you have an easy or difficult time believing this? Talk to God about your feelings this week.
Pray: God, help me to bring my most honest self to you when I pray, warts and all.
Psalm 5: Lead Me in Your Righteousness
Reflect/Discuss:
The psalmist is confident in verse 7: “I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.” Do you feel confident that God hears you, accepts you, as you are? What might make this difficult to believe sometimes?
What does the word “refuge” really mean? Use a source to look it up and meditate on this today: what does it mean for God to be our refuge?
Pray: God, help me to not only trust that you are on my side but rejoice in the ways you show me blessings and kindness. Help me to live a trusting and hopeful life.
Psalm 6: O Lord, Deliver My Life
Reflect/Discuss:
In this psalm, the psalmist says “every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.” It’s pretty encouraging that the writer not only tells God about this...but shares it with other people, too! We can learn a lot about emotional vulnerability from the psalms. What is a step you might take this week to let others in?
Pray: God, I know you hear me when I cry out to you. Comfort me when I am hurting, and help me to be honest with you about how I am feeling, no matter what.
Psalm 7: In You Do I Take Refuge
Reflect/Discuss:
This is the first psalm to involve a confession (v.3-6). How do you feel about the importance of telling God/others about your sins/mistakes?
Why is this such an important part of the psalms (see v.12-17 here).
Pray: Take time today to talk honestly with God about the times when you have made mistakes, been dishonest, or acted in ways that hurt others. The point isn’t to “beat yourself up!” The point is to take the mask off in your relationship with God. Let yourself be vulnerable...and pay attention to where God leads you as you pray.
Psalm 8: How Majestic is Your Name
Reflect/Discuss:
This psalm is all about God. As you read, what might you add here to the psalmist’s praises?
In verse 4, the psalmist writes, “what is man that you are mindful of him?” What do you think this verse means? How does it fit into the psalmist’s words of praise for God’s “majesty”?
Pray: God, you are over all things...and yet you notice me. That is so wonderful to think about! Help me to remember that it’s true: the God of the Universe sees, knows, and loves me.
Psalm 9: I Will Recount Your Wonderful Deeds
Reflect/Discuss:
What are some of the “wonderful deeds” of God you might “recount”?
There are many passages in the psalms that can feel mean-spirited or vindictive. But note verse 7: “the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice.” Although the psalmist is often honest about what he wants God to do to his enemies, he always emphasizes that it is God’s job to be just...and he trusts God to do it. Do you sometimes wrestle with this? Are there things you want God to do to your own “enemies”? Try to focus today on turning that over to God, whose throne is established for justice.
Pray: God, help me to trust in you. Help me to remember all you have already done for me...and all you promise to do for your people.
Psalm 10: Why Do You Hide Yourself?
Reflect/Discuss:
Although we can trust that God will ultimately bring justice to the world, we also know he does this in his own time. The psalmist is honest about how frustrating this can be! Does God’s patience sometimes frustrate you, too?
Remember verse 14: “But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless.” God does see what is happening in his world...and we can trust him to make things new.
Pray: God, I need to be honest about my impatience and my frustrations. Give me the courage to share even my doubts with you! Help me remember your faithfulness, even when it’s hard. And give me confidence in your promises to bring justice and hope to your creation.
Psalm 11: The Lord Is in His Holy Temple
Reflect/Discuss:
What does it mean to you to “take refuge in the Lord?” (Note: the word “refuge” is used as both noun and verb, action and place, and occurs 40 times in Psalms alone! It is always used in reference to a threat.)
Think about these 5 words from verse 5: The Lord tests the righteous. Have you ever been “tested by the Lord?” Why might this phrase appear here right before the word “righteous,” which also occurs three more times in this psalm?
Pray:
Father, instruct my heart to find refuge in you when daily threats come my way, and to remain in refuge. Help me to complain less about testing, knowing it produces your righteousness, not my own.
Psalm 12: The Faithful Have Vanished
Reflect/Discuss:
In our present time, we witness “flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say,‘with our tongues we will prevail, our lips are with us, who is master over us?’” How does a 24 hour/day news cycle promote this behavior and what should our view as Christians be toward such patterns? (v.3 and 4)
How does this compare to David saying that “the words of the Lord are pure words?” (v.8)
Pray:
Oh Lord, we contribute to the cacophony of noise with our boasts and flattering lips. Teach us. Heal us. Help us to stop talking! Help us to hear Your word.
Psalm 13: How Long, O Lord?
Reflect/Discuss:
Is it significant that David feels he is hidden from the Lord, that his enemies are exalting over him, that he has trusted in his own counsel and has sorrow? (v.1-4)
When David then notes he will trust in the steadfast love of God, what happens? (v.8/9).
Pray:
Lord, when we are downtrodden, overwhelmed by our enemies, and trusting in ourselves, turn our hearts to you in song. May we be encouraged, knowing that your steadfast love prevails. You will deal bountifully with us!
Psalm 14: The Fool Says, There Is No God
Reflect/Discuss:
Close your eyes. Imagine: “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.” How does it feel that the God of the universe sees you? Right now!
This Psalm has much to say about evildoers and corruption. Then, there are verses 5-7: “God is with the generation of the righteous…but...the Lord is his refuge...and when the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.” There is that word again: refuge! What do you think about refuge, restoration, and rejoicing so often against the backdrop of evil, testing and corruption?
Pray:
Lord, it is so easy in our world to take our eyes from you and focus on the evil and corruption in the world and in our hearts sometimes. Help us to keep rooted in you as our righteousness.
Psalm 15: Who Shall Dwell on Your Holy Hill?
Reflect/Discuss:
“O Lord, Who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? (v.1) The Hebrew word for dwell is often used synonymously with sojourn. What is the difference between going to church and dwelling or sojourning with God?
This Psalm also suggests or warns that to sojourn and dwell with God involves not slandering or doing no evil to our neighbor. Do we sometimes prefer to talk about matters or gossip/ slander when we are troubled, rather than to sojourn with God? (hint - yes. I do and generally end up feeling worse, just sayin’)
Pray:
Lord, we do seek your face. We do so long to dwell with you - to sojourn and communicate and interact with you. Take our wanderings in attention captive. Heal our tongues and forgive us our slander. And shower us with the confidence that (as the Psalmist declares) “He who does these things shall NEVER be moved.”
Psalm 16: You Will Not Abandon My Soul!
Reflect/Discuss:
This psalm reiterates some themes: what is the significance of taking refuge; of delighting in the Lord; of choosing where our portion lies; of blessing the Lord and being glad?
God says he will not abandon our souls to Sheol, or let his holy ones see corruption (v. 10). What does the psalmist tell us is our role? In this active role, what are we to do?
Pray: Lord, help me to do my part of blessing you; choosing you as my portion; actively taking refuge in you and being glad even as you keep me in you.
Psalm 17: In the Shadow of Your Wings: A Prayer of David
Reflect/ Discuss:
Was the psalmist's life easy? What challenges beset his daily life?
What is the psalmist’s answer to his many enemies, problems, violence and men of this world?
Pray: Lord, we too like the psalmist feel surrounded by men of this world, whose portion is in this life. We, too, have our hearts tried daily. Help us to seek and behold your face and be satisfied when we awake.
Psalm 18: The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress
Reflect/Discuss
Reflect upon the significance that the psalmist seems continually in conflict between his enemies; even the cords of death; torment; strife; and the refuge, goodness, support, gentleness and blessings of the Lord.
Are we tempted to believe we are entitled to live in the latter (the blessings) without the ongoing challenges of this world? Why might both be important?
Pray:
Father, we do seek your face and your daily blessings and goodness. Yet, when trouble besets us as it does in this world, help us not to let it turn us from you, but towards you and your safety, peace, comfort and refuge.
Psalm 19: The Law of the Lord Is Perfect
Reflect/Discuss
Laws, commandments, testimony and precepts of the Lord are heralded as good, wise and perfect in this psalm. What is the role of the Law in our modern day Christianity?
Reflect upon verses 9 and 10: “the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.” How do these fruits of the laws and rules of the Lord line up with our perceptions of fear of the Lord and His laws?
Pray:
Lord, it is hard to develop a more poignant prayer than your own words: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight.” Help us in our modern day to honor your rules and laws even as we know we are saved by faith and not by works. Create in us an understanding by your wisdom that we may seek you fully; honor and follow your ways.
Psalm 20: Trust in the Name of the Lord Our God
Reflect/Discuss
In the Psalm, we are reminded of the familiar refrain, ‘some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will trust in the name of the Lord our God (v.7) Take a moment and look up Trust נֶאֱמָנוּת on google.com. Does the Hebrew meaning of ‘trust’ contribute to or expand your understanding of what it means to trust in the Lord? Are any actions suggested, i.e. is trust a noun or a verb?
What is it you need to trust the Lord for today? Is there anything you might do to actively trust Him?
Pray: Father. Forgive us. We want to trust in you. We want to receive our heart’s desire, the fulfillment of our plans and petitions as the Psalmist prays. Yet, we more readily trust in our ‘horses and chariots’ whatever form these take in our fallen world. Help us, Lord to move beyond trusting in things, people and our own abilities. Help us to truly have confidence in YOU.
Psalm 21: Rise Up O Lord, in Strength!
Reflect/Discuss:
It may be hard to admit, but sometimes we see other people as enemies worthy of contempt. Why do we see them as enemies?
This psalm is filled with smiting and destroying enemies. Is there any encouragement we can find in a psalm like this when we think about the ugly things in life, e.g., the pandemic, political discord, racism, betrayal by a loved one?
Pray:
God, there is plenty of ugliness in the world that may cause us to see other people as our enemies. But Jesus said to love our enemies! Help us to do the same, so you may use me to eradicate darkness in the world with your light.
Psalm 22: My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?
Reflect/Discuss:
Can you remember a time when God seemed to have abandoned you?
Jesus quotes the first verse of this psalm as he nears death (Matthew 27:46). What do you make of Jesus saying,”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”?
For further study, The Naked Bible Podcast focuses on links between the Old and New Testaments. In this clip, the podcast host answers a question about Psalm 22:1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAoSE6kpkk4
Pray:
God, I am in a place where I feel abandoned. I am trusting you are God; remind me that you are, so I may endure whatever burden I have to carry.
Psalm 23: The Lord is My Shepherd
Reflect/Discuss:
The psalm describes God as a shepherd. How do you picture God and his care for us? Consider drawing a picture.
How would our lives change if we trusted God to lead us through dark places in life, even the “Valley of the Shadow of Death”?
Consider reading, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. Yep, an actual shepherd wrote this book!
Pray:
God, I don’t want to become overwhelmed by the trials and troubles of this world. Please show me that even in the darkest of times, you are there for me.
Psalm 24: Who Is Allowed to Ascend?
Reflect/Discuss:
After reading Psalm 24:1-6, are you comforted in knowing God will reward righteous people, or afraid that you won’t measure up to his standards? Personally, I (Paul M.) am often afraid!
Try reading this psalm out loud (really loud, if you would like). How does your reaction to this psalm change, if at all, when you speak it out loud vs. reading it silently?
Pray:
God, I praise your name and declare you King. You took on humanity’s greatest enemy, death, and were victorious, due to the resurrection of Christ.
Psalm 25: Oh Lord, I Come to You...
Reflect/Discuss:
Is it comforting to know that the Psalms don’t only speak of good times and praising God, but speak to despair as well? If so, why?
When life hurts, how quickly do we turn to God’s Word?
Consider leaving a note in your phone that the next time you feel despair, read Psalm 25 as a prayer to God.
Pray:
God, let me not forget you in my time of trouble. Someway, somehow, speak to me, guide me, in my despair.
Psalm 26: Vindicate Me, O Lord
Reflect/Discuss:
How can anyone argue that they are righteous before God? Is this arrogance or confidence from David?
Would you ever consider praying,”examine me, O Lord, and test me?” It’s a bold prayer!
Pray:
Lord, help me not to be afraid and trust you to make me a more righteous person.
Psalm 27: The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
Reflect/Discuss:
If we truly believe the Lord is our salvation, why do we fear other people and circumstances?
What are the similarities between Psalm 23 and Psalm 27?
Pray:
God, I do not think you are my salvation. I think you are far away, and that people and circumstances can hurt me. Help me to trust you, and in your protection.
Psalm 28: To You, O Lord, I Cry Out
Reflect/Discuss:
After reading Psalm 29, how would you describe the psalmist’s words at the beginning of the psalm? At the middle? The end?
Verse 7 talks of singing to God in gratitude. Consider finding a song that gives thanks to God and sing it yourself!
Pray:
God, despite the terrible injustices in this world, help me to trust that you will punish the wicked in due time, and rescue those in need.
Psalm 29: Acknowledge the Lord, You Heavenly Beings!
Reflect/Discuss:
Draw a picture, whether on paper or in your thoughts, of this Psalm.
Who are these heavenly beings the Psalmist is speaking of? One explanation to consider may be found in this Bible Project piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1rai6WoOJU
Pray:
Lord, I stand in awe of Your power! I believe you use that strength to sustain me. Make it so!
Psalm 30: I Will Praise You, O Lord
Reflect/Discuss:
After reading through Psalm 21-30, what are common ideas expressed throughout the Psalms?
Listen or review the lyrics to the song “Graves Into Gardens.” How does that song compare the words written here in Psalm 30?
Pray:
God, I am in mourning due to the way of the world, a family tragedy, or some other reason. Change my mourning to dancing, not in a way that ignores the suffering myself and others may endure, but in a way that helps me to see you can rescue us from the deepest despair.
Psalm 31: Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit
Reflect/Discuss:
In verses 9-13, the psalmist talks about being so despised and scorned that even their friends are afraid to be seen with them. Can you recall a time when it seems the entire world was against you? How did you respond to such a time?
The psalmist constantly pleads with God to rescue and save them, not because of the author, but because of God’s own character, his righteousness (v.1), the honor of God’s name (v.3), God’s faithfulness (v. 5), and God’s unfailing love (v. 7, 16). How would you approach life’s challenges if you were to call upon God, not because you are in trouble, but because it is in His character to rescue you?
Pray:God, in times of stress and difficulty, when the world seems to be attacking me from all sides, help me to remember that your goodness and your love never fails, and that I can trust you with my salvation.
Psalm 32: Blessed Are the Forgiven
Reflect/Discuss:
Do you feel joy when you confess your sins to the Lord? Do you experience emotional, mental, even physical discomfort when you choose to keep your sin hidden? How does the psalmist’s experience of sin and confession compare to your own personal experience?
The psalmist talks about the Lord’s “unfailing love” surrounding those who trust in him. What does God’s unfailing love look like in your own life? Do you recall a time or event when you literally felt surrounded by such love?
Pray:
Only you, God, can remove my sin and guilt, but only if I confess to you. Only you Lord, can surround me with boundless love.
Psalm 33: The Steadfast Love of the Lord
Reflect/Discuss:
Do you ever feel like you are not worthy of praising God? What comes to mind when you read the phrase “it is fitting for the upright to praise him” (NIV), or as another translation (NLT) puts it, “it is fitting for the pure to praise him”?
The psalmist sees the faithfulness of the Lord in the structure and order of creation (v. 6-9), and in the Lord’s plans standing firm (v. 10-11). Think about the ways in your life the Lord has been personally faithful to you.
Pray:
Let me praise you O God, for your faithfulness to me is everlasting and ever present. Your plans for me are good and loving. I trust you for you are worthy of my trust.
Psalm 34: Taste and See That the Lord is God
Reflect/Discuss:
As you read this psalm in its entirety, are you encouraged by its constant calls to praise the Lord, to trust in him, that he will protect the righteous and punish the wicked? Or are you discouraged as you think about believers who have striven to do good yet are constantly beaten down and crushed?
Particularly troublesome is v. 19, “the righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all” (NIV). Do you believe that a righteous person will always be delivered from all their troubles? Why or why not? How would you counsel a fellow Christ follower who is living through difficulties and is “clinging” to this verse?
Pray:
I praise you Lord both when life goes well, and when life goes wrong. I praise you not because I always understand you but because you are my God.
Psalm 35: Great Is the Lord
Reflect/Discuss:
As a Christ follower, does this psalm’s cries of retaliation, even vengeance, in vs. 1-8 bother you? Have you ever been hurt or mistreated so badly that you wanted your tormentor to suffer as much as you had, or even more?
The psalmist does not hesitate to come before the Lord exactly as he/she is feeling, crying out their emotions and thoughts no matter how dark. When you pray or talk to God, do you try to maintain a pious, humble, supposedly “prayerful” attitude? Or do you, like the psalmist, scream and let spill out the emotional storm raging inside you?
Pray:
Teach me to be honest as I come before you Lord. Help me to confess my anxieties, my fears, even my doubts and questions. you are big, O God, and fully capable of handling everything I give to you.
Psalm 36: How Precious Is Your Steadfast Love
Reflect/Discuss:
It is easy to become immune to the wrongness of the world around us, particularly as we attempt to not become discouraged due to the events we see and read about on TV, social media, etc. How does focusing on God’s faithfulness and love help one to live in the current world? In your neighborhood?
Psalm 36 contrasts the character of the wicked with the character of God. God’s character so dictates His actions that it is impossible to separate one from the other. Reflect on your own character and actions. Does one flow inseparably into the other?
Pray:
Teach me Lord to live well in a world gone wrong, to be light to others without becoming discouraged. Teach me and shape me, let my character and actions become one so that who I am is what I do, and vice versa.
Psalm 37: He Will Not Forsake His Saints
Reflect/Discuss:
The psalmist, while declaring that the wicked will face a day of judgement, is careful to avoid mentioning when that day will actually happen. Are you encouraged or discouraged that the ultimate fate of the wicked may not happen in your lifetime? How can you trust in God while sin and evil doing seems to prosper around you?
How much is your faith in God dependent upon him keeping his word that the wicked will someday be punished, and that those who “delight in the Lord” will be given their heart’s desires?
Pray:
Let not the wicked discourage me from trusting in your justice, O Lord. Help me to trust in you and to be willing to wait for you to act.
Psalm 38: Do Not Abandon Me, O Lord
Reflect/Discuss:
Have you ever felt so guilty about a personal sin or action that you became physically sick? How did acknowledging the wrong help with healing?
Central to God’s rebuke of our wrongdoings (v. 1-3) is the hope that God has not abandoned us (v. 21-22), unlike possibly our family and friends (v. 11). How can you help someone who is suffering to know that you, and more importantly God, have not abandoned them?
Pray:
Do not abandon me even in the midst of my sin, merciful God. Bring me back into your loving and redemptive arms. Rescue me because you are a God of rescue.
Psalm 39: What Is the Measure of My Days?
Reflect/Discuss:
Keeping quiet while undergoing internal turmoil (v. 1-3) can have both positive and negative consequences. Recall times when keeping quiet had a positive or negative outcome.
Think about the concept that the God who spoke the universe into being actually spends time listening to you when you pray (v. 12). Do you truly believe this? Why or why not?
Pray:
You hear and listen to me when I pray. Help me to believe that you desire to spend time with me in prayer.
Psalm 40: My Help and My Deliverer
Reflect/Discuss:
At the end of this psalm, the writer pleas with God to not only deliver them but also to not delay. Yet in vs. 1, the writer also reflects on the need to “wait patiently for the LORD”. Do you recall a time when you waited patiently for God to work, yet another time when you wished he would hurry up and do what he planned to do? How did the two situations differ from each other that caused you to respond differently?
Like many of the psalms before and after it, the writer is trusting God to be true to his character, that it is in God’s nature to rescue his children, to be faithful and merciful, to show unfailing love, etc. Which characteristic of God do you have the easiest time accepting? Which characteristic do you have the most difficult time accepting?
Pray:
We praise you because you are worthy. We love you because you loved us first with an unimaginably deep love. We humbly acknowledge you as our God and Savior.
Psalm 41: O Lord, Be Gracious to Me
Reflect/Discuss:
God cares for the poor and weak and calls us to do the same. Is there a need in your community this week that you can help meet?
How and to whom, that may feel abandoned, could you be a friend?
Pray:
Thank you God that when I am sick or feeling abandoned or even deserted by everyone, that you, God, remain by my side. I praise you, God, forever, always.
— BOOK TWO —
Psalms 42-72
— BOOK THREE —
Psalm 73-89
— BOOK FOUR —
Psalm 90-106
— BOOK FIVE —
Psalm 107-150