Moving onto the Psalms from our Lord’s Prayer series is refreshing for me. Refreshing because I think we find something we were missing. Whereas the Lord’s Prayer is formal and formulaic (addressing God as, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; carefully praising before asking for anything, and once asking making it sound as though it is for God’s benefit), the Psalms are conversational and candid (Perhaps too candid sometimes as they ask for the destruction of adversaries and even the death of their babies of our enemies).
For me, the Psalms have a certain rawness to them, as they presents a people’s thoughts and prayers in an unfiltered way. They do not try to be prim or proper; more often than not, they simply speak out of the depths of their soul. When I hear the Psalms of adoration or the Psalms of lament, I catch a glimpse of something beautiful: a window into the intimate relationship between God and a person with longings, hopes, and aspirations.
In this way, perhaps we can learn from the Psalmist: to risk putting ourselves out there by stating our longings, crying out to God to hear our plea, and proclaiming our gratitude. If you have time this weekend, create your own Psalm by writing down your unfiltered thoughts to God; whether you want to praise God or lament about your current circumstance; let her know what you think…Then, like Job, brace yourself because you may be surprised to find she is listening.
