Eugene Peterson, in his introduction to the Psalms in The Message, writes:

"Untutored, we tend to think that prayer is what good people do when they are doing their best. It is not. Inexperienced, we suppose that there must be an 'insider' language that must be acquired before God takes us seriously in our prayer. There is not."

The wonderful truth of the psalms is that they are the prayers of real people. Real, honest people, whose lives are just as beautiful and messed up as ours, are responsible for the psalms. What a gift to find this treasure at the center of the Bible!

Facebook Question

Join the discussion on the SPD One Year Bible Read-Along Facebook group page!

Keeping the daily discipline of reading the beautiful poetry of the psalms may be even more challenging than getting through the laws in Leviticus because we may feel rushed. Feel free to slow down ... read with your heart. When your heart is full, stop. The next day, pick up and read the assigned psalms for that day and when your heart is full again, stop. It's ok to miss some. Let the scriptures speak to you. Give yourself permission to listen.