Psalm 24 Prayer Guide

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- 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: “If every door knew its place, it would open for You: every holy, solemn, wretched, royal space unlatched, unbarred— from the flaming steel of Eden to the vestibules of hell, all would fling wide to give You passage. For You are the rightful King come back to claim His throne, and You will not rest until evil is vanquished. Captives rescued. Death undone. Behold, the King of Glory comes! And all knees will bend.” (Sheltering Mercy, by Ryan Whitaker Smith and Dan Wilt: Psalm 24). Part 2 Slowly read Psalm 24 out loud: (for an audio version click here) Psalm 24:1 (NIV) The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. 3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. 5 They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob. 7 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty— he is the King of glory. Part 3 Use your own words to pray Psalm 24 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 (‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it’) becomes ‘The earth is YOURS, and everything in it’. 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 24 set to music. Try taking the psalm song with you into your day.