Psalms is one of my favorite books. Using different genres and invoking an array of emotions, Psalms is a book for the whole person. Psalms are for the intellect, will, and emotions. Each week a new Psalm will be added for reflection and contemplation. As you read the Psalms, pray it will deepen your affections for God and help you express your feelings to God.
Psalms are made up of different genres. Each genre highlights different emotions. Lament, Thanksgiving, Royal, Wisdom, Messianic, Remembrance—just to name a few.
Enter into emotion. The Psalms call readers to acknowledge and name emotion, encouraging us to empathize with the author. They express joy, sadness, love, anger, and thanksgiving, reminding us we are not alone in how we feel.
Pray through the Psalm. Learning to pray through Scripture calls us to slow down and see God’s heart, truth, and posture towards us in the midst of our experiences and feelings.
Reflect on the Psalm. Take time to review the Psalm for the week. Answer the reflection questions. I am praying for you as you reflect in the Psalms each week! Go slowly. Don’t rush. Your purpose is not to accomplish something, but spend time with someone (Jesus).
Take your time. This is not a race! Intentionally make space each day to read and reflect on the Psalm. We are going to spend about a week on each Psalm. The goal is to learn how to linger and enjoy a relationship with God through the reading of His Word.
Day 1: Read the Psalm. Just read it. Maybe read it twice.
Day 2: Answer the Reflection Questions.
Day 3: Personally Reflect on the Psalm. Write some reflections and questions about the Psalm. What is your favorite verse, why?
Day 4: Write a Prayer for yourself based on the Psalm
Day 5: Slowly Reread the Psalm.
Psalm 12 - The Faithful Have Vanished
To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.
12 Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;
for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
the tongue that makes great boasts,
4 those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,
our lips are with us; who is master over us?”
5 “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the Lord;
“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”
6 The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.
7 You, O Lord, will keep them;
you will guard us from this generation forever.
8 On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.
Reflection Questions
What do believe David was feeling in this Psalm?
Have you experienced what David is describing here?
How does God view people of integrity?
Do you know anyone who has experienced this loneliness and despair?
How can you encourage the person who came to mind today?
“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”