Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

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Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

Identifying a Personal or Corporate Vision for a Lifetime of PsalmWork

The days of our lives add up to seventy years, or eighty, if one is especially strong. But even one’s best years aremarred by trouble and oppression. Yes, they pass quickly andwe fly away. . . . So teach us to consider our mortality, so that we might live wisely.

~ Moses, Psalm 90:10a, 12

The consistent example of the great cloud of witnesses includes a daily habit of praying the Psalms (Heb 11). While a daily psalm habit is the norm, there are many different ways this can be done. Below are two tables for planning a strategy for your daily habit of praying psalms.

Table 4: Praying through the Book of Psalms at aWalking, Jogging, or Running Pace

Use the table below to create a personal vision for your life and/or for the pastoral ministry you lead. For example, how many times do you hope to lead your children through an experience of praying the Psalms by the age of 12? What is your vision for how you would like to pray the Psalms over the next decade? We often overestimate what we can accomplish in a day and underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade. Also, pause to consider your vision for the end of your life. If you live to be seventy or eighty, what do you hope will be true of your psalm prayer habits? Will you follow Moses’ example and allow the Lord to teach you to live wisely (Ps 90:10, 12)?