Message #1 (of 20) from the PrayerPower radio series
"Praying Psalm 23"

by Kaye Johns

I hope you have, because the 23rd Psalm makes such a touching prayer, that can be prayed from many perspectives. It is one of those passages of Scripture that many people have memorized, usually as young children. That makes it familiar, and easy to use as a prayer, knowing we don’t have to pray it verbatim.

We are going to move through the psalm a word, a phrase, a verse at a time to suggest various ways to use it as prayer. It is perhaps most beautifully used as a prayer of worship, exalting the Lord for Who He is and all He means to us personally. It is a wonderful way to open our quiet time, to come into His presence with an expression of love and adoration.

The 23rd Psalm also makes a balanced prayer of petition, one we would pray for ourselves. It is a guide for prayer requests that we can know are His will. That’s one of the advantages of praying through Scripture--when we do, we can pray confidently, knowing we are asking for those things it will please Him to do for us.

This psalm is a perfect one to pray over children and loved ones, or even those we don’t know very well, as an intercession. Or, to guide us through a time of personal confession. Why not try it for yourself? Begin with worship.

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