Psalm 98 - 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: “Father God, though you are ancient, ageless, unbound by time- you have worked your will in human history, your salvation in space-time, and we, your children, are still finding new songs to sing, new praises to bring, new grammar to proclaim the length, height, depth, and breadth of your kindness to us…'“ (Endless Grace, by Ryan Whitaker Smith and Dan Wilt: Psalm 98).

Part 2

Slowly read Psalm 98 (ESV) out loud: (for audio versions click here)

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
    let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the Lord, for he comes
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity.

Part 3

Use your own words to pray Psalm 98 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. 1 (‘Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things!’) becomes “I sing a new song to YOU, Lord, for YOU have done marvelous things!’ 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 who 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 98 set to music. Try taking the psalm song with you into your day.

by Jeremy Mayfield (2015). youtube.com/user/jbrumay

from the album, ‘Sing Psalms’ (2021) by Brian Suave. briansuave.com