Praying with the Psalms

What is Mentoring? 

Mentoring is a series of one on one meetings held regularly for discipleship and training. 
Mentoring provides more individualized and personal formation. A mentor is someone 
who has a mature faith life and who can provide personal accompaniment that helps the 
mentee grow in their prayer, faith, and friendships. A mentor commits to caring for, 
praying for, teaching, and being there for their mentee. Mentoring consists of regular 
biweekly meetings in which a particular topic or course is covered throughout the 10 
weeks of the term. 
 

Meeting layout 

● Mentoring meetings are biweekly (every other week). 

● 30-45 min meetings.  

● Meeting will begin with a prayer. 

● Have discussion on the previously assigned reading & 3 questions. 

● Mentor and mentee will formulate 1 creative solution based on the discussion. 

● At the end of the meeting the next reading will be assigned for the following 
meeting. 

● Mentee is responsible for completing the reading, answering the questions, 
and coming prepared to the next meeting with discussion points and any 
further questions.  

Tips 

● Your mentor is a valuable resource, use them! 

● Ask questions, even if your mentor can’t answer them they know someone 
who can. 

● Know your mentor is also your friend and cares about all aspects of your life, 
not just your prayer life. 

● Be honest with your mentor, they can’t help you grow if they don’t know your 
struggles. 

Introduction: “What are the Psalms?” 

Session 1 

The book of psalms is a collection of 150 ancient Hebrew poems, songs 
and prayers from all different periods in Israel’s history. 73 of these 
poems were written by King David, who was a poet and a musician. 
There are also other authors, Asaph (12), the sons of Korah (11), Heman 
and Ethan (2), Solomon and Moses (3), and other anonymous writers (49). 
These poems came to be sung by the Temple Choir, although the book 
is considered more of a prayer manual than a hymnal. The psalms are 
poetry, and these poems invite us into an experience, masterfully using 
images to help us ponder ideas slowly and from different angles. The 
Psalms through the structure of the book re-tell the entire biblical story 
and invite you into a “literary temple.” Just as in the ancient Jewish 
Temple all the religious artwork and imagery and rituals sought to 
express the reality of Almighty God and his power over the world and 
that in the temple you are in His home, or in other words, the temple is 
the place where you encounter God and you remember What he has 
done in the world. 

This is significant because the Jewish temple was destroyed, first by the 
Babylonians and then by the Romans. If there was no temple, then there 
was no place where they could be sure that God dwelt. The psalms are 
designed to create that meeting place with God through poetry. 

King David is a key figure throughout the psalms because he 
experienced great hardships, but trusted God with a radical faith. 
Through these poems King David shares his fears, confesses his failures, 
and offers thanks to God. He often speaks of a longing to be in the 
temple (remember that the official temple was not build until after King 

David died). That made his prayers more relevant for the people in exile 
and for us now as we also recognize a longing for a deeper knowledge 
of God and relationship with him. These prayers are meant to become 
our own by reading and reflecting on them throughout our lives. 

The book was arranged after the Babylonian Exile and its very design 
seeks to transmit a message. Usually the psalms are divided into 5 
books (or sections), plus a short introduction (Psalms 1 &2) and a 
conclusion (Psalms 145-150). Psalm 1 celebrates the blessedness of the 
person who meditates on the Torah, reading it and praying with it day 
and night. “Torah” is the Hebrew word for “the Law” (or “teaching”) and in 
the context of the Bible refers to the first 5 books (Genesis, Exodus, 
Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). In Psalm 1 both of these 
definitions apply. The psalmist is using the imagery from the garden to 
remind the reader of the garden of Eden and what Mankind was made 
for before, by choosing to disobey God, they were exiled. Then the 
author explains to the people that the book of psalms is being offered 
as a new Torah that will teach God’s people the lifelong practice of 
prayer as they strive to obey God’s commands and teaching given in the 
first Torah. Psalm 2 is a poetic reflection on God’s promise to King David 
(2 Sam 7) that a messianic king of David’s line will establish God’s 
kingdom over the world, defeating evil. This psalm concludes by saying 
that those who follow this messianic king will be blessed, just as those 
who in psalm 1 meditate on the law of God day and night. The 
“Introduction” to the psalms confirms the definition of the whole book as 
a prayer book for God’s people as they strive to be faithful to the 
commands of the Torah as they hope and wait for a future messianic 
kingdom. These themes (a. Temple, b. Torah, c. Messiah, d. Kingdom of 
God) will be the central themes for the 5 sections of psalms. 

The first two books focus on the History of the King David and his family. 
Book 1 of the psalms (3-41) has at its center psalms (15-24) that open and 
close with a call to faithfulness to the covenant. In psalms 16-18 we see 
King David as the model for this faithfulness as he calls out to God in his 

need and God elevates him as king. Psalms 20-23 draw parallels 
between King David and the future messianic king who will also call out 
to God, be delivered, and given a kingdom over all the nations. At the 
center of this section we find psalm 19, a hymn of Praise to God for the 
Torah. 

Book 2 (psalms 42-72) opens with two poems that are united in their 
hope for a future return to the temple in Zion, an image of their hope of 
the messianic kingdom. The closing psalm for book 2 is a poem that 
depicts the future reign of the messianic king over all the nations, 
echoing passages from the prophets (Isaiah 11, 45, & 60, Zechariah 7) 
and concludes by affirming that this king’s reign will be the fulfillment of 
God’s covenant promise to Abraham to bring His blessing to all the 
nations (Gen 12:3, 22:17). 

Book 3 (73-89) also concludes with a reflection on God’s promise (His 
covenant with David), but this time in light of Israel’s exile, so there is 
great emphasis on the promise to never abandon the line of David even 
though they have been unfaithful and the kingdom is now overthrown. 
This book is a cry to God to remember his faithfulness and to respond. 

The final section rekindles the hope for the future where God will be 
faithful to his promises and give them a new temple. Book 4 (90-106) is 
the response to the crisis of the exile, the opening poem returns to 
Israel’s roots with a prayer from Moses where, just like on Mount Sinai 
after the Golden Calf incident, he calls upon God to be merciful. The 
center of the book is a declaration that the God of Israel is the true king 
of all the world and all creation and that he will bring justice and 
establish his kingdom. Book 5 (107-145) affirms that God hears the cries 
of his people and will send the messianic king. This book contains two 
larger collections, one is what is called the “hallel” (psalms 113-118 which 
the Jews pray during the Passover celebration) and the “songs of 
ascent” (psalms 120-136). These both conclude with a poem about the 
future messianic kingdom and together sustain the hope of a future 

exodus-like act of God to redeem his people. Between them is placed 
psalm 119, the longest poem of them all. It is an alphabetical poem 
(each line begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet) and it explores 
the wonder and the Gift of the Torah as God’s Word to his people. 

Each of the five sections ends with a phrase that states “May the LORD, 
the God of Israel, be blessed forever and ever. Amen, Amen.” (or a 
variation of the same). The goal of the whole collection is that people 
praise God, emphasized by the last 5 psalms which all beginning and 
ending each psalm with the word “Hallelujah” which is a command to 
praise “yah” (a shortened yet respectful way of referring to God). 

The psalms are traditionally broken up into different categories or styles 
of poems, the most commonly known are psalms of lament or petition 
(prayers of pain, anger, frustration, confusion, etc. meant to draw 
attention to what’s wrong so as to ask God to do something about it) or 
psalms of praise and thanksgiving (joy and celebration that show us the 
power of God and what he does in the world). Other categories include 
didactic (meant for teaching), royal (about the kingship of David or the 
future messianic king), Hymns and statements of trust. (A​ ppendix 1)​  

 

R​ eflection Questions: 

1.  How does knowing the layout of the Book of Psalms influence 
your view of them? 

 

2.  Is there a particular section of the Psalms with which you already 
think you might identify more? 

 

3.  Have you had the experience of having a psalm (read or sung) 
touch your heart and connect with what you were living in the moment? 
Describe the moment and what the psalm did for you. (If you haven’t 
had the experience with a psalm, share about a prayer or song that 
touched you.) 

 

4.  What would you most like to learn through the psalms about 
prayer? 

  

  

  

 

Session 2 

One of the best ways to pray with and from the psalms is to read them 
slowly and several times, letting your heart be touched by the text and 
letting it resonate with your own personal experience. For example, read 
together psalm 139. Then read the following prayer by Cardinal 
Newman: 

God beholds me individually, whoever I am. He “calls thee by thy 
name.” He sees me, and understands me, as he made me. He 
knows what is in me, all my own peculiar feelings and thoughts, 
my dispositions and likings, my strength and my weakness. He 
views me in my day of rejoicing and my day of sorrow, He 
sympathizes in my hopes and my temptations. He interests 
himself in all my anxieties and remembrances, all the risings and 
fallings of my spirit. He has numbered the very hairs of my head 
and the cubits of my stature. He compasses me round and bears 
me in His arms; He takes me up and sets me down, He notes my 
very countenance, whether smiling or in tears, whether healthful 
or sickly. He looks tenderly upon my hands and my feet; He hears 
my voice, the beating of my heart, and my very breathing. I do not 
shrink from pain more than He dislikes my bearing it; and if He puts 
it on me, it is as I wilt put it on myself, if I am wise, for a greater 
good afterwards. 

 

 

Reflection Questions: 

1.  What has struck you about the psalms through the introduction 
and the first session? 

 

2.  Do you have any favorite psalms? 

 

3.  What are your biggest obstacles in prayer? 

Assigned reading: 

Pick 4 ‘Trust’ psalms from the appendix (i.e. 11, 16, 23, 46, 62) to read and 
pray with for the next two weeks, each should be prayed with at least 
twice, giving time to read, identify, and listen to the text itself. 

 

Creative Resolution: 

I resolve to … (i.e.as I pray with each of these psalms, I will write down a 
“translation” in my own words) 

  

  

  

Session 3 

Poetry is its own genre within Literature. It may be referencing a 
historical event, but it is not concerned with the ‘historicity’ of the data, it 
seeks to transmit a feeling or experience. It is one thing to say “And the 
Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became sick. 
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went 
in and lay all night upon the ground” (2 Sam 12:15-16). However, when 
we read Psalm 51 we enter into David’s realization of the evil his sin 
brought to his own family and the depth of his errors in a much more 
personal way. Or knowing that Psalm 18 is King David’s victory song 
after defeating the four giants of the Philistines (not including Goliath) 
and had escaped King Saul who was trying incessantly to kill him (2 Sam 
21:18 - 22:1). 

Another tactic in the psalms that can help us pray is through images. 
“Restful waters” or “green pastures” bring to mind peace, while “dry 
bones” and a “howling pack of dogs” present images of death or danger. 
If we let these images resonate in our hearts we can find new ways of 
presenting our lives, concerns, or desires to God. Read through Psalms 1 
and 23, for example. 

 

Reflection Questions 

1.  What is an experience that you have that helps you identify with 
one of these psalms? 

 

2.  How would you define your relationship with God right now? 

 

3.  When describing yourself and how you feel, what images come to 
mind? 

 

 

  

Reading Assignment 

Take Psalms 51, 18, and 136 to prayer throughout the next two weeks. 
Read them once to know the general idea, and then think back to a time 
in your life when you experienced something similar (i.e. shame for your 
sin, God’s victory or power through you, God’s unfailing love). 

  

Creative Resolution 

I resolve to … (i.e. memorize Psalm 18 so that when I have my next 
‘victory’ I can pray with King David’s victory song and make it my own). 

  

  

  

Session 4 

The Psalms are also a ‘school of praise,’ they make us step outside of 
our own life and remind us of how much God has done and the power 
he has shown throughout history… and if he did it then, why not now? 
Psalms like 132, 135 – 137, 105-107, 145-150 are good examples of how to 
read history as a recognition of God’s action and presence in every 
moment. Praise is a type of prayer where the focus is put more on who 
God is than who we are or what we need. It helps us broaden our ability 
to see the action of God both in us, and in the world on a level where 
maybe we are not (i.e. the wonders of creation or history of the Church). 
Praise is the style of prayer that the angels around the throne of God 
sing, and it is a favorite among the saints. It is sometimes the most 
difficult to learn and feel comfortable with, but also the ‘highest’ since 
it’s focus is God himself. The psalms help give us context and lift our 
eyes and hearts to this style of prayer. 

 

​Reflection Questions 

1.  What is a time in your life that you can look back and see God 
working? 

 

2.  What has your experience been praising God in prayer? 

 

3.  Do you have moment of prayer that stands out in your memory as 
one that let you see God more for who he is? 

  

 

Assigned reading 

Choose one or two of the above listed Psalms to pray with this week 
and as you pray with it, place yourself in it: where is says ‘Israel’ or 
‘Jacob’ read your own name, instead of the ‘Amorites’ etc. you can name 
your own struggles. Then take the time to review your own life in the 
same way, seeing how all the twists and turns, the difficulties and 
victories, have been led by God to bring you to where you are now. 

  

Creative Resolution 

I resolve to… (i.e. Take a moment each day this week (10 min) to praise 
God.) 

  

  

  

Session 5 

In life sometimes there are moments where we cannot understand what 
is happening, or why we are where we are, moments of rebellion where 
we feel angry or uneasy with God. Often times when this happens, we 
don’t necessarily want to openly rebel but are not sure how to respond 
with faith in a situation that seems so bad or unfair. This experience was 
also common to the Psalmist, both psalm 22 and 88 are good examples 
of this. Each describes a situation of incredible suffering that seems 
unfair, and even as the psalmist describes the situation and expresses 
the hurt and anger that they feel, they turn their eyes trustingly to God. 
They teach us to do the same, to follow their example of recognizing 
what is unfair or hurtful, recognizing our suffering and taking that to God 
and choosing to praise him in and through the moment. 

 

​Reflection Questions: 

1.  What is one thing that you have suffered in your life? How did you 
react? 

 

2.  What is something that causes suffering or struggle for you right 
now? 

 

3.  How does your reaction and prayer about this area of your life 
compare to the psalmist’s? 

 

  

Assigned Reading 

Remembering a time in your life when you were really suffering 
(emotionally, physically, etc.) and as you remember that time pray with 
either psalm 13, 22, 77 or 88. Try to make the lament and the praise your 
own, study how the psalmist did it and think about how you would 
experience in your heart and say the same thing. 

  

Creative Resolution 

I resolve to… (i.e. in each struggle choose to lift my heart and eyes to God 

in praise).   

Appendix 

Psalms' Categories in The Bible 

Lament & Petition Psalms  Praise & Thanksgiving Psalms 

3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 22, 25, 26, 28,  8, 9, 19, 24, 27, 30, 33, 34, 36, 40, 46, 48, 
31, 44, 53, 54, 55, 56, 60, 69, 77, 82, 86,  54, 57, 61, 65, 66, 67, 75, 76, 81, 87, 91, 
90, 94, 106, 120, 130, 141, 143  92, 95, 98, 100, 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 
107, 108, 110, 111, 112, 116, 117, 118, 124, 
  128, 133, 135, 136, 139, 145, 150 

Trust Psalms   

4, 11, 16, 23, 46, 62, 91, 115, 125, 131  Hymn Psalms 

  29, 95, 97, 98, 99, 103, 104, 111, 112, 113, 
114, 117, 121, 136, 147, 149 
 
Wisdom & Didactic Psalms   

(d​ esigned or intended for teaching)  Royal Psalms 

37, 49, 52, 110, 127   2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 89, 101, 132, 144