Contemplative Spirituality: Praying the Psalms

The spiritual practice of praying the Psalms has a long line of history to it in the Church. The Book of Psalms has long been thought of as the Church's prayer book. It provides rich, deep material for our souls to linger and savor as we approach the throne of God in prayer. Read the passages slowly, linger silently in your spirit as you form your own prayers around the words of the Psalm you pray through.

Psalm 43 is a good place to start. Try praying with your Bible in front of you and your journal close by to capture any prayers you want to return to, to record any thoughts about God you feel are strong in your spirit, or to just allow you to slow down as you write out the Psalm as you're praying.

Send Out Your Light and Your Truth

 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
  against an ungodly people,
 from the deceitful and unjust man
  deliver me!
 For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
  why have you rejected me?
 Why do I go about mourning
  because of the oppression of the enemy?
 
 Send out your light and your truth;
  let them lead me;
 let them bring me to your holy hill
  and to your dwelling!
 Then I will go to the altar of God,
  to God my exceeding joy,
 and I will praise you with the lyre,
  O God, my God.
 
 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
  and why are you in turmoil within me?
 Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
  my salvation and my God.

(Psalm 43 ESV)

Poems, Prayers & Promises

My friend at "Doctrine Matters" (see link) posted some great early church prayers and songs. Be blessed in the Savior.

May none of God's wonderful works keep silence
May none of God’s wonderful works keep silence,
night or morning.

Bright stars, high mountains, the depths of the seas,
sources of rushing rivers:
may all these break into song as we sing
to Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

May all the angels in the heavens reply: Amen! Amen! Amen!
Power, praise, honour, eternal glory to God, the only Giver of grace.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
(Third-Century Hymn, A. Hamman, ed., Early Christian Prayers (Chicago, Henry Regnery, 1961, pg. 69)

and

Of the Father’s love begotten, ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega, He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see, evermore and evermore!

O that birth forever blessed, when the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving, bare the Savior of our race;
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face, evermore and evermore!

O ye heights of heaven adore Him; angel hosts, His praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before Him, and extol our God and King!
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Every voice in concert sing, evermore and evermore!
(Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, Corde Natus Ex Parentis [348-413])