‘'The Psalms are the single best guide to the spiritual life currently in print'
Ellen F. Davis

This is quite a claim to make in the face of the multitude of books currently available on theme of the spiritual life. A lot has been written. A lot has been said. And can a collection of songs and prayers from ancient times really be that helpful?

Yet, I have found over the last few years, that her observation rings true. As I've embraced the habit of reading part of a psalm most days and used a pattern that I cover the full range of psalms (not just the Top of the Pops psalms) and have found my life with God shaped and formed. 

I have found my voice.

Lessons Learnt from Singing in the Woods: 

Let me draw a comparison with my experience of singing in the woods.

I have always been in awe of people who can sing in harmony. To me, it's magic. And on my bucket list has always been the desire to sing harmonies with a choir. To take some practical steps to fulfil this wish, I joined a choirs that sings in the woods. Us, a fire, the trees. No sheet music. No piano. And I soon worked out the secret of singing harmonies. 

You find someone who can do it well. You stand next to them. You listen to them. You copy them. You sing what they are singing while they are singing.  And the magic works. You are singing harmonies.

I then found the heart to sing by myself in the car. Belting out tunes at the top of my voice, daring to add improvised harmonies to random tracks. I wasn't great, but I found my voice.

Finding My Voice to Talk to God.

To me, the habit of praying the Psalms regularly has echoed this experience. They have given me permission to say a whole lot of things to God that I wouldn't have thought I could bring to him. Praying the psalms, using the prayers of others, has increased my ability to talk to God about stuff.

Psalms are not just about praise. Not even mainly praise. The majority are laments, expressions of pain. I discovered ‘As the Deer’ is written in dark times when God seems far away. Earlier this week I was stopped in my tracks with a whole Psalm saying ‘I’ve messed up.’

No one single psalm says everything or is complete. But together they paint a breadth of language, not to pick and choose, but to bring together, to aid our talking to God, and to give us a way of responding to the world we live and breath in.

It’s not telling you what to think. It’s to give you a voice. Let it help you talk to God, scream, vent, laugh, cry, delight with God. Let it help with the language of your soul. 

A Plan for Reading the Psalms:

Some people start at the beginning and read from 1 to 150 and then start again.
Others use the recommended psalm from the daily lectionary.
Another option is to a plan that covers the different kinds of psalms in a pattern, like the plan below. In case it's helpful, I offer you the plan suggested by John Bell. 

Whichever pattern you do, and no matter how many times you give up, start again. Not from the beginning, but from the next one on the list. And when you get to the end of the list, start again. 

And find your richer, broader, most-honest voice as you talk to God.

Book References:

* Ellen F. Davis 'Involved with God: Rediscovering the Old Testament'
** John L. Bell 'Living with the Psalms'