The Psalms are a unique treasure of Scripture. It connects the head and heart of a believer in a rich and vivid way. While most of the Scriptures deliver words from God to man. The Psalms provide man with Spirit-inspired words to pray and worship God. In this post we will give you 8 ways to how to use psalms The format and diversity of the Psalms allows them to be used in many powerful ways individually and corporately, almost like a Swiss Army knife for our spiritual lives.
8 ways to use the Psalms.
1. Use the Psalms to cultivate a prayer life.
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you don’t know how to pray? The psalms give believers the right words to pray when no words come to mind.
The Psalms teach the importance of being honest with God and that it is okay to ask, “Why?” and “How long, Lord?” We learn the need to submit to him in difficult times and the joy we have in reaching out to him when we contemplate his greatness. Following the prayer patterns of the psalter will enrich our prayers. Making his substance fuller and more God-centered.
2. To cultivate a life of personal worship.
How did Moses respond to God’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt? He sang a song (Exodus 15). How did David respond to the Lord’s deliverance from his and Saul’s enemies from him? He wrote a hymn of praise (2 Samuel 22. Psalm 18). How did Asaf cure his envy of the wicked? He worshiped God, learned of his fate, and recorded his trust story in the Psalm 73.
Singing the psalms allows us to proclaim the words of God and make them dwell richly within us. (Colossians 3:16). By doing this, we will be patterning our lives after God’s Word. And making worship a more natural part of our lives. The default setting of our hearts will be more focused on praise than things like worry, our lives, and ourselves.
How beautiful is your dwelling, O Lord of hosts! My soul yearns, yes, it faints before the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. (Psalm 84:1-2)
3. To cultivate worship in your church.
The book of Psalms is a hymnal full of songs for the people of God. Many of the psalms are intended for corporate worship, with some addressing the Choir Master and prescribing specific instruments for accompaniment (eg, Psalms 51-62).
Reading or singing the psalms corporately will shape the individual hearts and minds in the congregation and help your church pursue a culture of worship.
Use them at the beginning of a service as a call to worship, for sensitive readings, or as a response to a sermon. Your congregation will love how the rich images of Scripture speak to their life and daily experience and it will make their hearts sing!
4. Cultivate a deep hunger and passion for God.
The Psalms are a mirror of our souls that reveal our deepest longings. His words shape our hearts as we connect with the Psalmists in a deep and emotional way:
(Psalms 27:4) I have asked the Lord for one thing, which I will seek: that I dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to contemplate the beauty of the Lord and inquire into his temple.
(Psalm 63:1) O God, you are my God; I really look for you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and tired land where there is no water.
As you read the psalms and make them your prayer, God will work in you and change your desires to be more like his. You will be delighting in the Lord and you will receive the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is express the same delight in God that made David dance.
5. To make a stable emotional life
All Christians face emotional ups and downs. That goes for even the most equal saints because even our Lord himself went through a emotional triumph and confusion. The Psalms provide a faithful map to follow in the world of emotions, triumph, confusion and everything in between. C. John Collins put it this way: “Psalms do not simply express emotions: when sung in faith, they really shape the emotions of the pious.”
How do we respond to deep sadness? Look at Psalm 43, which says: “Why are you downcast, my soul, and why are you troubled in me? Wait on God, for I will praise him again, my salvation and my God.” How do we respond when the wicked prosper? Look at Psalm 37:7, which says: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not worry about him who prospers in his way, about the man who does evil.”
How do we thank the Lord for such a great salvation? “Let us give thanks to the Lord for his mercy, for his wonders toward the children of men. And offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and speak of his works with songs of joy.” (Psalm 107:21-22).
Using the Psalms for a biblical perspective on emotions will tune your heart strings to God’s perfect tune.
6. To cultivate a grateful heart.
God wants us to be grateful indeed, gratitude is his will for us (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Cultivating a grateful heart is especially important in a culture (even a church culture). That focuses on the gifts that God gives instead of being thankful for what he has already given us in Christ. Thanking God puts us in our place as humble creatures dependent on an abundantly merciful Creator.
The Psalms of Thanksgiving they celebrate the works and goodness of God to us. Like the Psalmists, we can remember the goodness of god through all of history (Psalm 105) and also his goodness to us personally (Psalm 40).
When God has turned your mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11), has given you a firm place to stand (Psalm 40:1-2), and has been your rock and your salvation (Psalm 62:1), How can you stop your heart from giving thanks?
7. Have a deeper understanding of the Christian life.
The Psalms will shatter any idea that being a Christian is a walk in the park. The Psalms show us the full spectrum of the Christian life, from mountaintop experiences to walk in the valley of the shadow of death.
We can hide from our enemies in a cave like David. (Psalm 57), cry out to God for the injustice with Asaph (Psalm 82), contemplate the brevity of life and the greatness of God with Moses. (Psalm 90), and enter into the abandonment of our Savior (Psalm 22). The Psalms will teach us to live wisely in difficult times.
When reading the Psalms with the Christian experience in mind, God will humble you, refine your expectations about life, and show you his faithfulness and unwavering love. He learns how to use the psalms so that you have a fuller life in Christ.
8. Use the Psalms to contemplate the Savior.
Jesus used the Psalms in many of the ways described above. Christ was intimately connected with the Psalms and would have prayed and sung them. Jesus was fully God Y fully man This means that you know the psalmists experience and he himself is the God described as a King in whom we can take refuge.
We see in Jesus’ own words to his disciples that the Psalms find their ultimate fulfillment in him: “Everything that is written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44). As you read through the Psalms, look closely for New Testament cross references that quote the Psalms in reference to Christ. Also be on the lookout for references to evangelical themes or to the characteristics of Christ.
Here are some highlights of Christ in the Psalms. Psalm 102:25-29 describes Christ as the eternal Creator (Hebrews 1:10-12). Psalm 16 describes the resurrection and future glory of Christ.
In Psalm 110 he describes the dominion of Christ and his future judgment. Seeing Jesus Christ in the Psalms is the fulfillment of all the scriptures. God wants us to find Christ alive and find life in his name. He wants transform our hearts and our minds to love and glorify him as he did the psalmists.
We recommend you read: Meaning Of: Many Are The Called And Few Are The Chosen.