Building a Life of Prayer

Each of the last five Psalms (146 -150)  in the Book of Psalms begins and ends with the words "Praise the Lord,"  which is the translation of the Hebrew word הַ֥לְלוּיָ֨הּ (hallelujah). This final section of the Book of Psalms is an excellent reminder to us not to neglect praise during our times of prayer. 

Psalm 145 is a song of praise. It teaches us that it is always good to begin a time of prayer with praise to God. Further, recalling and praying the truths in Scripture about God is a good practice. 

Psalm 144 is a Psalm of David. In it, David prays for blessing upon God's people. It teaches us that we should always praise God for who he is and what he has done for us. We must always come before God with humility and pray for his power to be displayed to further His Kingdom's purposes. 

In Psalm 143, King David pleads with God for mercy instead of judgment. He prays for guidance from God in the midst of his suffering. God is the source of mercy when we need His restoring grace. 

King David begins Psalm 142 by crying out to the Lord for mercy. He then acknowledges that God is his refuge and makes specific requests of God. It teaches us that even in our lowest and darkest times, we should seek God first. 

Psalm 141 starts with a request for the prayer to ascend before the Lord as worship. It also contains a request for help in controlling speech and having strength in keeping godly discipline. 

In Psalm 140 King David addresses the Lord with confidence. It is great Psalm for those who are afflicted to review and meditate upon.

Psalm 139 can guide us to more effective times of prayer by reminding us that it is always good to begin a time of prayer with a focus on who God is. That helps us to get our eyes off ourselves and onto God. It also reminds us that God knows us intimately. 

Psalm 138 is a Psalm of David. It begins with a commitment to thanking and praising God for his steadfast love and faithfulness. When we turn to God in times of weariness, God can provide "strength of soul."

Psalm 136 is a call to give thanks to the Lord for his goodness. It is also a call to give thanks for his many benefits to his people such as those found in creation and those benefits that are part of salvation. 

Verses from Psalms 132, 133, and 134 remind us that God keeps his promises and His Word, that we need to pray for unity among God's people and call us to praise and bless the Lord. 

Verses from Psalms 129, 130, and 131 remind us that God is our deliver, teach us to seek God when we are in despair, and call us to humility before the Lord.

Verses from Psalms 126, 127, and 128 teach us that God is a restorer of His people. They call us to pray sincerely to God and remind us that God is the source of all true blessings. 

Verses from Psalms 123, 124, and 125 teach us that we pray to God because of who He is. God is Lord over all, our helper, our creator, and our source of stability. We should trust in God and find our security in Him. 

The "Songs of Ascent" are a collection of Psalms (120-134) that were probably sung by pilgrims who were "ascending" or "going up" to Jerusalem. Sections from Psalms 120, 121, and 122 teach us that we should call to God whenever we are in distress, always acknowledge God as our helper, and pray for the peace of God's people. 

In this final episode on Psalm 119, we look at the last verses (161-176), which comprise two sections. The first section is headed by two Hebrew letters that are treated together שׂ (pronounced shin) and שׁ (pronounced sin), and the second is headed by the final letter in the Hebrew alphabet ת (pronounced taw). They remind us to turn to God and his Word whenever we are persecuted, suffering, or facing adversity. 

Psalm 119, the section headed with "פ," pronounced pe, begins with praise and then makes a statement about the power and benefit of  God's Word. If you are having trouble getting started in a time of prayer, open your Bible, read a few verses, and reflect on them. It will help put you into a proper frame of mind for prayer. 

In Psalm 119, the sections headed with the Hebrew letter "ס," pronounced samek, and the Hebrew letter "ע," pronounced ayin  (verses 113-128) imply that the psalmist is undergoing significant adversity. It teaches us that during tough times, we can appeal to God for his steadfast love, and to be taught by God so that we can grow. 

Psalm 119, verses 73-80, teaches us that meditating on God's Word is a great way to keep our hearts aligned with God's will during times of adversity. 

Throughout Psalm 119, verses 65-72, the writer expresses a great desire for learning from God. When we seek to learn from God during our times of trial, we can grow in our faith and the quality of steadfastness.