HOW TO PRAY WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW THE WORDS TO SAY
The problems and temptations we face in our daily lives make prayer an absolute necessity.
It is a must for our spiritual growth and development.
Yet, many of us do not know how to pray or what to say, especially in times of distress.
Did you know that the book of Psalms offers lessons on how to pray even in times of great trouble?
We are journeying through the Book of Psalms. Take this journey with us and with God and his heavenly host as we learn how and what it means to pray.
The Psalms are prayers, and hymns snugged within the heart of the Bible.
Bursting forth in praise, exultation, sorrow, and sometimes hearts of desperation, these sacred verses have been echoed in private prayer closets and in public spaces alike.
The Psalms have been expressed on the lips of people from every walk of life, from the person standing on the street corner to top leading officials.
Psalms are a chorus that transcends time and space.
As we journey through the Psalms, may they be a guiding light to lead you into a deeper relationship with God.
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Sabbath School Daily by Dr. Brenda Ware Davis
Inviting God’s Presence:
Father, with an open mind, we invite your presence. We ask for the presence of your holy angels to stand by our side and the presence of the Holy Spirit to illuminate our minds. Change our hearts as we journey through the Book of Psalms. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Psalms
(Lesson 1)
Teach us to Pray
Day 1:
Many today hold the notion that prayer is mere spontaneous words spoken in times of crisis.
Still, others feel that they do not know how to pray, so they refrain from public prayer. But should we not seek to learn how to pray?
Remember that’s what Jesus’ disciples did?
They, according to Luke 11:1 asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.
“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples’ ” (Luke 11:1, NKJV).
Thus, Jesus gave them a model for prayer.
Besides Jesus’ model prayer, God has placed a prayer book in the middle of the Bible. It is the book of Psalms.
The Book of Psalms is not just there to show us how ancient Israel prayed; God has provided it to teach us how to pray when we can’t find the words to say.
From early times, the Book of Psalms has been instrumental in guiding God’s people on how to pray. We see evidence of this in 1 Chronicles 16:7, 9, in which the Israelites sing psalms to God, talking of all His wondrous works!
In Nehemiah 12:8
In which the Levites led the people in thanksgiving psalms
As a matter of fact, when Jesus prayed in Matthew 27:46, He used verses from Psalms 22
46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “eli, eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
Furthermore, the Bible in Ephesians 5:19 instructs us to
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19)
Thus, in this series, we look at the role the Book of Psalms plays in helping the people of God grow in their relationship with Him and in developing them spiritually in their life’s journey as their faith in God increases.
Keep in mind that the poems in the Book of Psalms are prayers. They are designed to show us how to talk to God.
These poems are more valuable than any you might find from other writers.
For they can help us develop a more effectual and more meaningful prayer life.
They can improve our communion with God.
Therefore, why not make the poems in the Book of Psalms your own personal prayers?
Those who have practiced incorporating these poems have found that their prayer life has become more meaningful and fulfilling.
And they also keep our minds from wondering when we are praying.
What is the best approach to incorporating the Psalms into your prayers?
To find out, view the next segment of this video: Day 2: Fostering the Use of the Psalms in Prayer
Psalms
(Lesson 2)
Teach us to Pray
Day 2: Fostering the Use of the Psalms in Prayer
When we read, reflect, and meditate on God’s word, casting aside any doubts or preconceived ideas with a sincere desire to know His will, we are brought into direct communion with God.
This is true of the study of the Book of Psalms. For example, Psalm 105:5, Colossians 3:16, and James 5:13 let us know that the Psalms play a significant role in our worship and in our daily life experiences.
Psalms 105:5 – reminders us of God’s marvelous works.
5 Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth (Psalms 105:5)
Colossians 3:16 – lets us know that the psalms are to be an intricated part of our worship.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)
James 5:13 – tells us they are songs of praise to the Lord.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. (James 5:13)
So, how can we incorporate the practice of meditating and reflecting on the Psalms?
A simple way to introduce the Psalms into your daily life is to make a commitment to God to read a poem or a portion of a poem from the Book of Psalms every day.
You can start by reading Psalm 1 and read a new Psalm every day until you reach the end of the book.
As you read, form the habit of reflecting, meditating, and talking to God.
Another way to read the Book of Psalms is to choose a topic that talks about the same experience you are going through.
This allows you to choose from the many different topics found in the Psalms.
As expressed in Lesson 1, the Psalms have topics that address every life experience. There are:
Psalms of lament: these are poems and hymns that cry out to God in expression of the hurt and pain felt in times of life’s struggles.
Psalms of Thanksgiving and Praise: these are poems and songs that express our thankfulness, appreciation, and gratitude to God for the great things he has done for us.
Repentant Psalms: these are prayers of confession and repentance of sin.
Psalms of wisdom: in these, the psalmist is seeking God for wisdom and guidance.
Historical Psalms: these provide the details on the history of Israel threaded with intricate accounts of God moving on their behalf.
Additionally, there are songs and poems that express anger and rage.
Also included in the Psalms are poems and songs of pilgrimage. These tell the story of Israel’s journey to Jerusalem to worship God and the songs they sang as they traveled.
In this series of videos, we will review many of these psalms.
In the meantime, how should we read the Book of Psalms?
We should read the Psalms while engaging in simple reflection and meditation. Casting aside any doubts or preconceived ideas talk to God as you read.
Also, while reading, observe the way the poet talks to God and pay attention to the reasons for his prayer.
Ask yourself how your own experiences or situations align with those of the psalmist.
Think about how that psalm might help you express your experience.
How is the experience in some ways relevant to your own life.
What you will find surprising is just how much you can relate to what the poet is expressing and feeling.
Here is why we must put aside our preconceived thoughts and ideas.
Because there will come times when what the psalmist says conflicts with your hopes, ideas, or perception about something you may be facing.
In this case, honestly ask yourself if that psalm is revealing to you your false hopes, perceptions, or ideas. Or is the psalm asking you to change something else in your life?
Meditate on the specific message in the psalm.
What does it teach you in the light of Jesus and His work to save you?
How is it relevant to the long-term effect of his work on your life?
This is significant because, when we look at our lives in terms of our relationship with God and his work in seeking to save us and bringing us back into a relationship with him, we obtain a deeper understanding of the value of Jesus death on the Cross, God’s offer of forgiveness and His offer of eternal life.
Also, as you read, ask God to put his word in your heart and in your mind.
And, if the psalm you are reading and meditating on brings someone you know to mind, pray for them.
Reading the Psalms, if absorbed in our hearts, will enrich our lives.
In other words, just as Paul wrote in Colossians 3:16, reading the Book of Psalms will be a blessing to us and others when we allow its teachings to live in us.
6 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)
The Psalm is an avenue for honest expression. When we fail to express our feelings honestly and openly, we are often left in bondage to our emotions.
How do the Psalms release us from this bondage? To find out, continue to the next segment of this video: Day 3: Trust in Times of Trouble
(Lesson 2)
Teach us to Pray
Day 3: Trust in Times of Trouble
Have you ever felt that God was far from you?
Have you ever wondered why God lets you suffer and allows bad things to happen to you?
For sure, we have all felt this way.
We have all experienced times of despair and suffering and wondered if God was really with us or why is God allowing this to happen to us.
The writers of the Psalms went through similar situations.
And through inspiration from God, these psalmists recorded what they experienced. (Epoioipeq)
Read Psalms 44. What does the writer say to you, and how is what he is saying relevant to you today?
Some might think that the experiences in the Book of Psalms are too horrible and ugly to speak about in public prayer or even in our prayer closet.
And it is true that we should carefully choose the words we say in prayer.
But at the same time, however, we must not hide our true fears and feelings.
For if we fail to tell God how we feel in our hearts, we will continue to suffer in pain.
In other words, when we don’t honestly and openly take our feelings and how we see things to God in prayer, we may find ourselves left in bondage to our own emotions.
However, when we take the poems written in the Book of Psalms and use them as our prayers, it gives us the confidence we need to approach God and trust that He will hear our prayers.
These psalms give us the courage we need when we don’t have the words to say. They help us say the things we might be afraid to say.
We learn, too, that God does not expect us to act as though our suffering and pain do not exist.
For example, Psalm 44 can help us when we are experiencing suffering due to no fault of our own; find words to express how we feel. Notice what it says in Psalms 44:18 and 19:
18 Our heart has not turned back, Nor have our steps departed from Your way;
19 But You have severely broken us in the place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death. (Psalm 44:18, 19). (Spliteoi)
But notice how Psalms 44 begins. It starts by talking about how God has done great things for His people.
So, the writer in Psalms 44:6 expresses that he trusts in God and not his bow.
Despite this trust in God, however, trouble comes to God’s people.
So, the writer makes a list of all his troubles. His song is a long, sad, and painful one filled with a list of all his troubles and heartaches.
But does the writer give up hope that God will come to His people? No!
In Psalms 44:26, we see the psalmist crying out to God, saying: “redeem us for Your mercies’ sake” (Psalm 44:26).
So, as bad as Israel’s troubles are, the psalmist knows that God hears His people and loves them.
Thus, in times of trouble, we are to draw on the past, recalling the times when God stepped right in on time to deliver us.
In times of trouble, we may think that God is far away from us, but he is right there by our side, ready to deliver us at the appointed time and in a way that is best for us.
Psalms like Psalms 44 are great to pray in helping us to express our feelings in times of trouble; what are some other benefits of praying using the Psalms? To find out, watch our upcoming video, Day 4: Oh, Restore Us Again
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