Reading the Psalms helps Christians understand the rest of the Bible. In the Psalms, we find timeless truths regarding the conduct and future of godly people (Ps 1), God’s judgment on unjust civil leaders (Pss 2; 82), inspired reflections on Israel’s salvation history (Pss 105-106), the importance of covenant faithfulness and the value of God’s word (Ps 119), and the future glory of God’s people(Pss 110:2; 128:5). Likewise, the Psalms give keen insights into the nature of God, man, creation, sin, and forgiveness (Pss 8; 32; 51; 139).
It’s almost as if, in the Psalms, the law, history, and prophets are condensed into one volume with emotive overtones of praise and worship. In the Psalms, we are reminded that God meets humankind’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Also, while reading the psalter, we find the source of blessing, what it means to be blessed, how to be blessed, and the expectations of those who are blessed.
Further, the book of Psalms is quoted and referenced in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament book. Some of the most important prophecies about the Messiah are found in the Psalms. Notice just how reliant the New Testament is on the Psalms:
Peter quoted two psalms in the first gospel sermon to convict his audience of Jesus’ resurrection and reign at the birth of the church (Acts 2:25-28; Ps 16:8-11; Acts 2:34-36; Ps 110:1).
Jesus echoes three psalms when he describes what he will tell those who don’t do the will of the Father on the judgment (Matt 7:23; Pss 101:4; 6:8; 5:5)
Psalm 110:4 is fulfilled in Jesus in such a way that it takes the Hebrews author three chapters to explain it all (Heb 5:6; 6:20; 7:17-21)!
And the above list doesn’t even scratch the surface. To neglect the Psalms is to neglect the revelatory foundation of the New Testament. When Christians read the Psalms, they are exposing their minds and hearts to the crown jewel of the Old Testament and the launching pad for the New Testament. When we read the Psalms, we get a better grasp of the entirety of God’s word. But the benefits don’t stop there.
2. The Psalms Can Embolden Your Praise
A major part of the value of reading psalms is in reading them devotionally. The Psalms embolden our own praise because it chronicles God’s covenant people praising God through the ages. Just read Psalm 95… or Psalm 96… or Psalm 103… or Psalm 104… or Psalm 136… or Psalm 145… or Psalm 148… or Psalm 149… or Psalm 150… or… you get the point. Nearly every psalm is drenched with praise. In fact, in the ESV, forms of the word “praise” occur over 160 times in the book. I am convinced that when mindful Christians read the Psalms they are urged to join in that praise.
We should be armed and refreshed by the praise of the Psalms. The reminder that we can praise in any circumstance and the description of why God’s people should praise him should result in our outpouring of praise. It’s so easy to become distracted and feel like God is far from us. The psalter invites us to embrace the fellowship we enjoy with God through Christ and helps us cut out the noise of the world to praise our Father.
3. The Psalms Can Vitalize Your Prayer Life
If we’re honest with ourselves, we could all use a little work on our prayer habits. Though we know that the Bible urges us to “pray without ceasing,” sometimes it can be difficult to get into the habit.
Most notably, many psalms are themselves prayers or discuss prayer and this should urge us to consider our own prayer lives. As we read the Psalms, our hearts should incline to God and seek to pray ourselves. There is also the opportunity to pray the psalms as we read them. As we ingest these inspired prayers of our spiritual ancestors, we can use those same words to go to God in prayer. This practice is a surefire way to break out of a rut in prayer, and it helps us read more of God’s word in the process. The Psalms also help us pray because many of them remind us that we serve a God who listens and acts (Pss 66:17-20; 118:21; 116:1-2; 31:2).
God is even addressed at one point in the Psalms as, “you who hear prayer” (Ps 65:2). The fact that God hears his people and acts on their behalf is the theological foundation of the Psalms. This reality—that God listens to our prayer and responds to our petitions—ought to cause us to reacquaint ourselves with the awesome privilege of prayer and be more steadfast in it.
4. The Psalms Can Kindle Your Love for God’s Word
I’m convinced that the more we read the psalter, the more our love for God’s word will grow. First, because the Psalms present us with a cross-section of all biblical literature. There is history, law, prophecy, poetry, lament, praise, and rejoicing. There are themes of messianic expectations and a future judgment/reward for the faithful. The Psalms remind us of who God is, who we are, and why we’re here. The Psalms are the concentrated version of everything that makes us stand in awe of God’s word.
Psalm 119 itself is essentially a love poem written about the word of God. in Psalm 119 we read the following:
God’s word enables us to keep our lives pure (Ps 119:9).
For the obedient, God’s word acts as a counselor and is a delight (Ps 119:24).
God’s word gives life and strengthens the soul (Ps 119:25, 28).
In God’s word, we find our only true hope (Ps 119:81).
In the Psalms, we are reminded of the value of God’s word, and we are encouraged to meditate on it day and night. After all, the difference between the blessed and wicked is that the blessed meditate on God’s word every opportunity they have and live accordingly (Ps 1:1-2).
The next time you are in a spiritual slump, or not sure what to read in the Bible, turn to the Psalms. In the Psalms, we find ancient praises that draw us closer to our God. Christians can’t afford to neglect the Psalms. “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Ps 42:1-2a).
Why Christians NEED to Read the Psalms
1. The Psalms Are Central to Both Testaments
Reading the Psalms helps Christians understand the rest of the Bible. In the Psalms, we find timeless truths regarding the conduct and future of godly people (Ps 1), God’s judgment on unjust civil leaders (Pss 2; 82), inspired reflections on Israel’s salvation history (Pss 105-106), the importance of covenant faithfulness and the value of God’s word (Ps 119), and the future glory of God’s people(Pss 110:2; 128:5). Likewise, the Psalms give keen insights into the nature of God, man, creation, sin, and forgiveness (Pss 8; 32; 51; 139).
It’s almost as if, in the Psalms, the law, history, and prophets are condensed into one volume with emotive overtones of praise and worship. In the Psalms, we are reminded that God meets humankind’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Also, while reading the psalter, we find the source of blessing, what it means to be blessed, how to be blessed, and the expectations of those who are blessed.
Further, the book of Psalms is quoted and referenced in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament book. Some of the most important prophecies about the Messiah are found in the Psalms. Notice just how reliant the New Testament is on the Psalms:
And the above list doesn’t even scratch the surface. To neglect the Psalms is to neglect the revelatory foundation of the New Testament. When Christians read the Psalms, they are exposing their minds and hearts to the crown jewel of the Old Testament and the launching pad for the New Testament. When we read the Psalms, we get a better grasp of the entirety of God’s word. But the benefits don’t stop there.
2. The Psalms Can Embolden Your Praise
A major part of the value of reading psalms is in reading them devotionally. The Psalms embolden our own praise because it chronicles God’s covenant people praising God through the ages. Just read Psalm 95… or Psalm 96… or Psalm 103… or Psalm 104… or Psalm 136… or Psalm 145… or Psalm 148… or Psalm 149… or Psalm 150… or… you get the point. Nearly every psalm is drenched with praise. In fact, in the ESV, forms of the word “praise” occur over 160 times in the book. I am convinced that when mindful Christians read the Psalms they are urged to join in that praise.
It’s not just that the many of the palms themselves are utterances of praise or used for praise. The Psalms demonstrate that God’s people can praise him no matter the circumstances (Pss 34:1; 6; 10; 12; 13; 22:22; 42:11; 43:5) and give so many reasons why God’s people should praise him (Pss 105:2; 106:1; 117:2; 119:171; 139:14; 147:1; 148:13; 150:2).
We should be armed and refreshed by the praise of the Psalms. The reminder that we can praise in any circumstance and the description of why God’s people should praise him should result in our outpouring of praise. It’s so easy to become distracted and feel like God is far from us. The psalter invites us to embrace the fellowship we enjoy with God through Christ and helps us cut out the noise of the world to praise our Father.
3. The Psalms Can Vitalize Your Prayer Life
If we’re honest with ourselves, we could all use a little work on our prayer habits. Though we know that the Bible urges us to “pray without ceasing,” sometimes it can be difficult to get into the habit.
Most notably, many psalms are themselves prayers or discuss prayer and this should urge us to consider our own prayer lives. As we read the Psalms, our hearts should incline to God and seek to pray ourselves. There is also the opportunity to pray the psalms as we read them. As we ingest these inspired prayers of our spiritual ancestors, we can use those same words to go to God in prayer. This practice is a surefire way to break out of a rut in prayer, and it helps us read more of God’s word in the process. The Psalms also help us pray because many of them remind us that we serve a God who listens and acts (Pss 66:17-20; 118:21; 116:1-2; 31:2).
God is even addressed at one point in the Psalms as, “you who hear prayer” (Ps 65:2). The fact that God hears his people and acts on their behalf is the theological foundation of the Psalms. This reality—that God listens to our prayer and responds to our petitions—ought to cause us to reacquaint ourselves with the awesome privilege of prayer and be more steadfast in it.
4. The Psalms Can Kindle Your Love for God’s Word
I’m convinced that the more we read the psalter, the more our love for God’s word will grow. First, because the Psalms present us with a cross-section of all biblical literature. There is history, law, prophecy, poetry, lament, praise, and rejoicing. There are themes of messianic expectations and a future judgment/reward for the faithful. The Psalms remind us of who God is, who we are, and why we’re here. The Psalms are the concentrated version of everything that makes us stand in awe of God’s word.
Psalm 119 itself is essentially a love poem written about the word of God. in Psalm 119 we read the following:
In the Psalms, we are reminded of the value of God’s word, and we are encouraged to meditate on it day and night. After all, the difference between the blessed and wicked is that the blessed meditate on God’s word every opportunity they have and live accordingly (Ps 1:1-2).
The next time you are in a spiritual slump, or not sure what to read in the Bible, turn to the Psalms. In the Psalms, we find ancient praises that draw us closer to our God. Christians can’t afford to neglect the Psalms. “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Ps 42:1-2a).