Psalm 1 Prayer Guide

Try entering into prayer 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. Part 2 Slowly read Psalm 1 (NLT) out loud: (for an audio version click here) 1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. 4 But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. 5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. 6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction. Part 3 Use your own words to pray Psalm 1 back to God: Begin by personalizing the pronouns in the psalm, turning the words about God and others into a prayer directly to God. For example, v. 2-3 (‘But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees…’) becomes ‘But I DELIGHT in YOUR law, Lord. Make me like a tree…’ Pray your way through the psalm in this way. Then gather these thoughts into your own psalm of wisdom: "I lament the sorrow and pain in my life and world that has resulted from unwise choices... (your choices and the choices of others) “I thank you God for giving us clear boundaries, for defining for us what is true and false, good and evil, wise and foolish. And thank you for giving us the freedom to choose the good. I bring to you the choices that are before me today… (ex, how you invest your time, thoughts, words, relationships, money, abilities, body, etc.) “Make me like a fruitful tree, planted in your… 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 1 set to music. Try taking the psalm song with you into your day.