Praying The Psalms (R.C. Sproul)
“As in the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer, the most appropriate way to begin prayer is with adoration. Sadly, we are most often moved to prayer by our desires and needs. We go to God when we want something from Him…
Our hesitancy and weakness in expressing adoration may have two root causes. The first is our simple lack of suitable vocabulary. We tend to be inarticulate when it comes to adoration. It was Edgar Allan Poe who said that prose is a more fitting vehicle to communicate instruction than poetry. The aim of poetry is to lift the soul to lofty heights. It is no wonder the Psalms were written in poetic form. Here the loftiest heights of verbal expression are reached in the service of the soul’s praise for God…
The Psalms were written in simple but powerful vocabulary through which the hearts of several writers expressed reverence for God without bypassing the mind. Opening their mouths, the psalmists uttered praise. That praise was given under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to be sure, but by men whose minds were steeped in the things of God.
Another great barrier to articulate praise is ignorance. We suffer not so much from a limited vocabulary as from a limited understanding of the One whom we are adoring. Our worship also suffers from a lack of knowledge of God…
If we fill our minds with His Word, our inarticulate stammers will change to accomplished patterns of meaningful praise. By immersing ourselves in the Psalms, we will not only gain insight into the how of praise, but also enlarge our understanding of the One whom we are praising…
When we begin our prayers with adoration, we are setting the tone for coming to God in confession, in thanksgiving, and in supplication…
When we begin our prayer with adoration and praise, we acknowledge the One to whom we are speaking. The grammar need not be perfect, nor the words lofty and eloquent, but they must reflect the respect and the honor due God. There is a sense in which adoration introduces us into the proper mode by which we confess our sins, give our thanks, and make our supplications.”(1)
Throughout the centuries, across denominations, continents, and cultures, the people of God have routinely found life in praying through the Psalms. Join us Wednesday mornings as we corporately sit with God in the wrestling, lamenting, adoring, interceding, hoping, thanksgiving… of The Psalms.
(1) Sproul, R. C. 2009. Does Prayer Change Things?. Vol. 3. The Crucial Questions Series. Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing.