Category Archives: Prayers from Psalms

Prayer that We Will Learn from Experience

Posted on January 2, 2022 by Michael Summers

As a teenager, I discovered in classes like algebra and Latin that I could do well on tests without doing the homework. In college, I tested out of enough classes that I graduated a year early. As I review my … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayers from Psalms | Tagged bloganuary, discipline, distraction, faith, focus, glorifying God, homework, love, Prayer, Psalm 119, Psalm 119:33-40, righteousness | 2 Comments

Prayer when Lying in the Dust

Posted on October 24, 2021 by Michael Summers

You, like I, may have experienced times when your world fell apart. How did you pray? At times, I found it hard to pray at all. I have learned that such times require prayer, that we talk to God when … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayers from Psalms | Tagged confession, grace, petition, praise, Prayer, Psalm 119, Psalms, recovery, repentance, spirituality | Leave a comment

Prayer of a Stranger

Posted on October 13, 2021 by Michael Summers

Travelers and immigrants seek accurate direction. In Psalm 119:17-24, the Psalmist confesses that he, a stranger, desires that God will reveal the wonders of his law. He contemplates the statutes of God’s word as carefully as a modern traveler might … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayers from Psalms | Tagged alien, Cain, faithfulness, Hebrews 11, Jacob, meditation, migrants, Prayer, Psalm 119, Psalms, spirituality, strangers | Leave a comment

How Shall the Young Secure Their Hearts?

Posted on July 31, 2021 by Michael Summers

How shall the young secure their hearts? Throughout my life I have sung lyrics by Isaac Watts that ask that question. Watts drew his inspiration from Psalm 119:9-16, the second division of that psalm’s 176 verse anthology of prayer. Concern … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayers from Psalms | Tagged Bible study, decision-making, faithfulness, Isaac Watts, joy, meditation, morality, Prayer, Psalm 119, Psalms, spiritual discipline, youth | Leave a comment

A Disciple’s Full-Bodied Prayer

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Michael Summers

Humility and gratitude flow through prayer in Psalm 40, grounded in a full-bodied devotion to the Lord God. The psalmist recognizes his helplessness without God; he recalls how God not only rescued him previously, but also provided for him: “I … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayers from Psalms | Tagged discipleship, faith, fear, gratitude, Hebrews 10, humility, Prayer, Psalm 40, salvation, temptation | Leave a comment

Praying when Very Sick

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Michael Summers

Life-threatening illness erases our calendar and makes us reassess our priorities. Because it often separates us from friends and, in the age of COVID, even family, it may isolate us from previous support systems. We may feel abandoned or at … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayers from Psalms | Tagged confession, fear, holistic, hope, illness, mental health, Prayer, Psalm 38, repentance, spirituality | Leave a comment

Prayer of the Righteous Man

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Michael Summers

“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:17). God hears, and delivers the righteous … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayers from Psalms | Tagged crucifixion of Jesus, fear, grace, Jesus, Prayer, Psalm 34, Psalms, refuge, rescue, resurrection, righteous, suffering, Zechariah 12:10 | 1 Comment

Conversation with the God who Listens

Posted on March 20, 2021 by Michael Summers

When we pray, we converse with God. Our speaking, however, comprises only part of the conversation. As in any exchange between sentient beings, nonverbal cues enter into each participant’s understanding of the other’s intent in the conversation. In my most … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayers from Psalms | Tagged 1 Peter 3, baptism, fear, listening, love, nonverbal cues, paying attention, Prayer, Psalm 34, Word of God | 3 Comments

Prayer When All is Lost and We Doubt God’s Presence

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Michael Summers

How would you act if suddenly what gave you a sense of security was taken away? How and what would you pray? Would you pray? In Rumaan Alam’s novel Leave the World Behind, two families from different racial and social … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayers from Psalms | Tagged 2 Kings 6, fear, glory, Leave the World Behind, Prayer, presence of God, Psalm 34, reverence, seeking God | 3 Comments

A Prayer during a Deep Freeze

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Michael Summers

Brrr! It’s very cold outside and light snow has fallen all day. The temperature is a little warmer now; it is minus two degrees Fahrenheit, but feels like minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit. Our energy company has notified customers to expect … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayers from Psalms | Tagged awe, earthquakes, glory, ocean, Prayer, Psalm 29, thunder, winter storm, worship | 1 Comment