Benedict of Nursia (480-547) first formed his Rule for the abbey he served in Monte Cassino, Italy.
Last year I grew curious about what this guide contained. And one particular practice caught my attention. It meant the monks of his monasteries lived on a steady diet of Psalms.
They repeated the entire book each week.
Repetition
All 150 Psalms were sung in differing order. Week after week.
Beginning with the early Sunday morning prayers. And concluding with late Saturday evening prayers.
Weekly repetition took the monks through heart cries and joys. Questions and awe. Loneliness and fellowship.
Giving words to all kinds of situations. Emotions. Concerns.
Glorious praise and painful lament.
On their lips. In their hearts and minds.
On repeat.
Psalms
The psalms sing about friends and companions. Enemies and deceivers. The just and the unjust.
This world and all the broken parts are not glossed over. But lived out. Confessed. Prayed through.
And in the end, the fears and tears turn eyes and hearts upward. To the Only One who never fails.
He listens to our praise or our anxious cries when we feel abandoned.
And He never forsakes us.
Dwell
In recent years I heard of a simple way to dwell in the Psalms over the course of a month. Read five psalms a day, by adding 30 to each psalm until you reach five. For example:
Day 1: Psalm 1 (+30), Psalm 31, Psalm 61, Psalm 91, Psalm 121.
Day 2: Psalm 2 (+30), Psalm 32, Psalm 62, Psalm 92, Psalm 122.
By the end of the month:
Day 30: Psalm 30 (+30), Psalm 60, Psalm 90, Psalm 120, Psalm 150.
On the months that have a 31st day, read and meditate on Psalm 119.
Rejoice
Renew hearts and minds by praying through the psalms. Rooting heart cries in the reality of Who He is and what He does.
Rejoice in the Almighty God, our Good Shepherd.
Majestic. High and lifted up. Lord of Armies.
Thundering in His rescue.
Or quiet in His peace.
Stilling us to wait. Wait on the Lord.
Selah.
What about you?
Have you dwelled in the psalms? What do they teach you?
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6 replies on “Psalms”
I came across this Psalms reading plan in a book on prayer some years ago. Adding one chapter of Proverbs per day the reader can work through both books each month. It’s amazing how often like themes are highlighted each day. The traits of the righteous vs the wicked are eternally true.
Yes! Thank you for sharing this. Tracing repeated themes in His Word is such an encouragement to me on this faith journey.
I like this very much! I have read Psalms & Proverbs with my chronological readings – one chapter a day. But this would be a great immersive reading!
I think so too. And tracing like themes as Jann notes above.
I begin each day with a psalm but usually pray one a day to begin my time of prayer. I memorize them often too. What a gift to us is God’s word and the psalms have helped me grow in prayer.
Thanks for sharing your practices. They’ve helped me grow in prayer too…in varying seasons of life ♥️