Learning to Pray from the Psalms of Praise

by Pastor Paul Dugan

The Psalms provide a “playlist” for all dimensions of the human experience, for all parts of the human soul. This playlist includes a wide diversity of genres that help us gather the whole of our lives in honest and grateful prayer before God.

Today we explore the genre of praise in the psalms. Praise affirms that God is on His throne and life under His loving rule is good, true and beautiful (‘Orientation’). Psalm 100 is a classic example of a praise psalm:

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalms of praise are always directed toward God, in honor of who God is and what God has done. Many of these psalms feature praises to God as Creator. Look for key words such as sing, rejoice, praise, glory, joyful; …for...

Examples of psalms of praise: Psalm 8, 29, 33, 65, 66, 67, 95, 100, 103, 104, 111, 113, 117, 134, 139, 145 - 150.

To craft your own psalm of praise, try completing these sentences:

• “Lord, I bless and worship you, for you are… (God’s character, ways)

• “I praise you for… (God’s works, gifts)

• "Hallowed be your name. Elevate your reputation today in my… (ex. family, church, neighborhood, city, culture, etc.)

• “May my… bring you glory and praise today.

I encourage you to start your day with praise. What is typically your first thought or habit when you wake up in the morning? Try replacing this with three minutes of praise, blessing God for who he is and what he has done. Read one of the psalms of praise, or design your own, completing one of the sentences above.

As you harness your first thoughts of the day around God, you recalibrate your soul. You reaffirm this glorious confession, “The Lord is God… and I am not.” Praise provides a fresh ‘orientation’ for facing a new day.