Praying the Bible

I suppose an apology is in order. Sorry that it has been so long since I’ve published a new post.  Life has been a bit crazy on my end—mostly related to the circumstances I shared in my last post (which have improved considerably).  And perhaps I need to apologize for the title of my last post as well. I often say things in a provocative way in order to make a point, which sometimes gets me into trouble. But hey, Jesus often did the same thing. In any case, I am just starting to get some rhythm and balance back in my life and I wanted to share with you one of the things that has really helped me get through the past several months—the practice of praying the Bible.    

The Bible is full of prayers. Throughout the Bible we get the opportunity to eaves drop on the prayers of all kinds of people. We get to hear how they talked with God amidst the circumstances of life. The largest collection of prayers in the Bible is the Psalms—a collection of five books of prayers penned by numerous authors over several hundred years. The Psalms are raw. They are full of vivid language.  And they cover the whole spectrum of human emotion.  As such, they give us verbiage to approach God in prayer amidst the circumstances of our own life. 

One of the best habits you can get in is to always have your thumb in the Psalms.  When you are excited, you’ll find a psalm to pray back to God.  When you desire more of God, you’ll find a psalm to pray back to God.  When you’ve stumbled or sinned, you’ll find a psalm to pray back to God.  When you are enraged by injustice, you’ll find a psalm to pray back to God.  When you are overwhelmed and in distress, you will find a psalm to pray back to God.  The past several months have been full of anxiety for me.  But one particular psalm helped me lean into God during this time—Psalm 3.  After several times of praying this psalm through, I decided I would rewrite it.  I would put it in my own words.  As I did, it took on an even deeper significance in my life.  Here is my version of it:

PSALM 3

Lord, how many are my troubles!

     How many things are distressing me!

My anxious thoughts are saying to me,

     “God will not deliver you.”

But you, Lord, are a shield around me.  You protect me on all sides.

     You are my glory, the one who lifts my head—even in times of trouble, 

     even in my distress.

I call out to the Lord in my distress, in the midst of troubling circumstances.

     And he answers me from his holy mountain. 

     He hears my cry and he responds.

I lie down and sleep.  I commit my cares to him. 

     I awake again, because the Lord sustains me. 

     He can be trusted with all things.

I will not fear no matter what life sends my way.

Arise, Lord!  Deliver me, my God!

     Remove from me all worry and every anxious thought.

     Break through my troubles and reveal your faithfulness.

From the Lord comes deliverance. 

     May your blessings cover me.