Ways to Read & Engage with the Psalms

As you read God’s Word, here are some different ways you can engage with the Psalms. Consider trying one or all of these!

Reflect on these questions
1. What does this Psalm say about God?
2. What truth from this Psalm do I need to cling to today?
3. How will I live differently today because of reading this Psalm?

Journal
Grab a journal and respond to what you’ve read by writing down your thoughts, feelings and questions about the Psalms.  Consider writing down a key verse that stood out to you.  You can also consider purchasing the ESV Illuminated Scripture Journal: Psalms which includes all of the Psalms, as well as blank pages opposite each page of Bible text with space for journaling, reflecting or drawing. 

Memorize Scripture
Pick a verse(s) that you want to memorize from the Psalm.  Write it down and commit it to memory as a way of keeping God’s Word with you.  Consider writing memory verses on notecards and putting them up at home in places where you’re likely to see them.  You can also check out a resource for memorizing Bible verses that was compiled by Navigators by clicking here.

Pray the Psalms
Use the Psalms you’re reading as a way of praying for yourself, our church and the world.  Take different verses and pray them aloud to God.  To learn more about how to pray the Scriptures, you can watch this 13-minute video about praying the Scriptures.

Use the SOAP method
SOAP is a helpful tool for studying God’s Word and it’s an acronym that stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer.  To learn more about the SOAP method, click here.

Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina means divine reading.  It’s a practice where you read a passage from God’s Word several times in a row, slowly, trying to pay attention to what God might want to say to you through His word.  The focus is on listening to God and what He might be inviting you to.  You can practice Lectio Divina with an entire Psalm or with a few verses from a Psalm.  Click here for a guide that walks you through the steps of Lectio Divina.

Use the Psalms to express our honest emotions to God
Sometimes we think that we can’t be honest with God or we have to hide what we’re really feeling, but one of the great things about the Psalms is that the writers freely express what they are thinking and feeling, whether it’s hope or despair, praise or anger.  Click here for instructions on using the Psalms as an example of how to express our honest emotions to God.