Psalm 19 - A Psalm of Wisdom (Orientation)
by Pastor Paul Dugan
Try entering into prayer with this three-part rhythm:
Part 1
Become present to the presence of God:
Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar and watch for fire to descend. (Psalm 5:3 The Message).
Pause in silence before God. Practice breathing slowly and deeply. As you inhale, invite the Holy Spirit to fill every part of your being- your body, mind, imagination, affections and emotions. As you exhale, release any burdens you are carrying into this time of prayer. Repeat this breathing prayer until you have brought your whole self -‘as is’ -before the presence of God.
Optional prayer of approach: “The skies are charged with grandeur; your glory carved in cloud and star: a testament to your goodness. The dawn brings fresh mercies; a world made new. At your word, light pierces the darkness; creation stirs. Your ways are righteous and true; a fruit evergreen: Reviving. Renewing. Transforming me, from one degree of glory to another, into the image of Christ…” (Sheltering Mercy, by Ryan Whitaker Smith and Dan Wilt: Psalm 19).
Part 2
Slowly read Psalm 19 (ESV) out loud: (for audio versions click here)
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Part 3
Use your own words to pray Psalm 19 back to God:
Begin by personalizing the pronouns in the psalm, turning the words about God and others into a prayer directly to God. For example, v. 1 (‘The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork’) becomes ‘The heavens declare YOUR GLORY, Lord…’ and v. 7 (‘The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul’) becomes ‘YOUR LAW is perfect, Lord, reviving MY SOUL'.’ Pray your way through the psalm in this way.
Then gather these thoughts into your own psalm of wisdom:
“Lord, your creation reveals your…”
“Your Word to me is like a …”
“I thank you God for giving us clear boundaries, for defining for us what is true and false, good and evil, wise and foolish. And thank you for giving us the freedom to choose the good. I bring to you the choices that are before me today… (ex, how I invest my time, thoughts, words, relationships, money, abilities, body, etc.)
The psalms were originally written as lyrics, as prayers set to music. Throughout the history of Israel and the church, the people of God have sung the psalms. Song invites us to internalize the Word of God with the whole self- body, mind, imagination, emotions and affections. Take time to listen to a version of Psalm 19 set to music. Try taking the psalm song with you into your day.
from the album ‘Psalm Songs Vol 1’ (2015) by Corner Room. cornerroommusic.com