Psalm 29 - A Psalm of Praise (Orientation)
by Pastor Paul Dugan
Try entering into praise 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. 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: “Bless the Father, O my soul- thundering voice of creation; Artist of order, reality upheld by the word of your power. Bless the Son, O my soul- Heaven’s ascended Lord. A bruised reed you did not break, but with a loud voice you cried, ‘It is finished,’ and the foundations of the earth where shaken; creation trembling before its King. Bless the Spirit, O my soul- Wind of God’s glory among us; Tongue of Fire in our midst; Tamer of desolate lands and wayward hearts. Father. Son. Spirit: Living Word- Above me. Below me. Around me. Within me. Strengthen my heart today; lead me in the path of peace.” (Sheltering Mercy, by Ryan Whitaker Smith and Dan Wilt: Psalm 29).
Part 2
Slowly read Psalm 29 out loud: (for audio versions click here)
Psalm 29:1 (ESV) Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Part 3
Use your own words to pray Psalm 29 back to God:
Begin by personalizing the pronouns in the psalm, turning the words about God into a prayer directly to God. For example, v. 2 (“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name”) becomes “I ascribe to YOU Lord, the glory due YOUR name.” Pray your way through the psalm in this way.
Then gather these thoughts into your own psalm of praise and thanksgiving:
“Lord God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit- I praise you, for you are…
“I praise you for what you have done. Specifically, I thank you for…
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 29 set to music. Try taking the psalm song with you into your day.
From the album “Songs for the Journey, Vol 3” (2019) by The Shiyr Poets. theshiyrpoets.com