Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

Resources for Application

291

Type of Prayer

Example Psalms

Notes on How to Pray

Royal psalms were originally written as guides for praying for Israel’s kings, and point toward Jesus as the true priest-king of God’s people (Ps 110). These psalms teach us to give ultimate trust to God as king, but they also provide wisdom for how to pray for human leaders in the church and the world. These psalms contain both personal and corporate examples. Many overlap with the praise psalms in the next category.

Leadership Prayers

2, 72, 110

Thanksgiving Prayers

30, 32, 34, 100, 107

8, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36, 52, 45, 46, 48, 65, 66, 67, 72, 76, 84, 87, 92, 95, 96, 97, 100, 103, 104, 105, 107, 111, 113, 114, 116, 117, 118, 121, 124, 129, 135, 136, 138, 145−150

The largest category of prayers in the Psalms give praise to God. These prayers teach us how to praise and thank God both as individuals and as a community.

Praise Songs

Zion songs teach God’s people how to pray for God’s people. As we pray these prayers we find our hearts turned to the desires of God’s own heart for his people.

46, 48, 50, 76, 84, 87, 112

Songs for Church