Sometimes there may be a total disjunction between the words of a psalm and the worshiper’s present experience. Imagine a happy newly wedded couple praying Ps 88: “Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry. For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave” (vv. 2, 3). However, Jacobson shares two reasons why praying a lament psalm is beneficial to the worshippers who are not in distress. First, it prepares them for the time of trouble that may come in the future. Contrary to the popular gospel of prosperity, the Psalms make the worshipers aware that suffering is part of general human experience and happens to the righteous, not only to the wicked. The Psalms give the assurance that God is in control and provides strength and solution in time of troubles. Second, praying the lament psalms teaches the worshipers compassion towards those who are suffering. We must be mindful of the less fortunate and fellow believers who are persecuted for their faith when expressing our happiness and gratitude to God. In the same way, introducing a psalm of praise to sufferers can transform their suffering by creating hope.1
The Psalms broaden our experience by showing that individual prayers are part of the universal worship of God, and so inspire us to look beyond our personal circumstances and to assume a much broader, historical, and universal perspective in life. For example, Ps 139 helps us to see our lives as part of the history of God’s people and to claim that past as our own. Psalms 148 and 150 transform us into members of a universal choir which, even now, praises God unceasingly. Even praying Ps 88, the psalm which confesses probably the most dejected sentiments in the Psalter, can provide us with a sense of belonging and comfort in times of distress because it connects us with generations of worshipers, including Jesus, who prayed this psalm.
The Psalms often supply fresh reasons for prayer that we did not consider before or have neglected. For example, Ps 122 instructs us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (v. 6). Jerusalem has been a place of conflict for over three thousand years, and its continual struggle for peace has become a symbol of the world’s cry for peace and prosperity. This and other psalms prompt us to be mindful of and pray for people outside of our immediate community and for the needs of the suffering world.
Praying the Psalms makes the believing community aware of the full range of human experience and teaches the worshippers to engage the various facets of that experience and worship. The responsibility of pastors and church leaders includes leading in that process and keeping the lamps of the congregation burning constantly with good oil. The Psalms are abundant with precious spiritual oil. The Psalms are divine-human prayers. For that reason, praying the Psalms brings the believing community at the center of God’s will and powerful healing grace.
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1 Jacobson, “Burning Our Lamps with Borrowed Oil,” 94-97.