We start a new series at SOS Church today! We have chosen to call it "Knock Knock" and the entire month of June we will be focusing on prayer. We will study the book of Psalms and I just know that this series will be so great! Here in Zambia we are on our last day of the festival, but I still want to tell you about our new series ;).
The Different Faces of Prayer
Name:
The word ”psalm” comes
from the Greek word ”psalterion”, an instrument with 10 strings, most likely a
sort of harp. In the Hebrew Bible it is called “Tehilim” which means “worship
songs”, but also “Tepillot” which straight out means “prayers.” The book of Psalms
is exactly what its name says, the book of prayer and worship before all others
in our Bible.
Author
and date:
Ezra, the scribe,
compiled the book of Psalms about 450 B.C. The authors are otherwise many, both
well known and less known Biblical characters from many different times. 73
prayers and/or worship songs are written by King David. Psalms are also written
by the sons of Asaph and Korah. These were
most likely compiled during the reformation of King Hezekiah. Many Psalms are
“fatherless”, as the Jews say, which means that the authors are anonymous and
we don’t know who they are.
Content
and Purpose:
The Psalms put words on
what we are going through and teach us that it is ok to cry, rejoice, dance and
complain when we spend time with God. The Psalms reflect both the heart of God
and man, completely honest, naked and without masks. So, the Psalms don’t just
have a spiritual content, but people pour out their soul without limits before
God. The authors accuse, are heartbroken and cry out their despair without
filter, and it actually seems as this is the way it should be, or it wouldn’t
be included in our Bibles.
Here are a few examples of different kinds of prayers
and worship:
1) Prophetic Messianic (Jesus)
Psalms, 2, 8, 16, 22, 23, 24, 40,
47, 69, 72, 89, 96, 110, 145
2) Psalms that teach:
74, 78, 89
3) Psalms of prayer: 5,
59, 83
4) Psalms of complaint:
10, 44, 74
5) Psalms of repentance:
6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143
6) Psalms of comfort: 3,
4, 57
7) Psalms of praise: 103,
104, 113, 135
Meaning:
The book of Psalms was
the song book in the temple and the synagogue in old Israel. The Psalms have
been used by Jews and Christians as a personal book of prayer for thousands of
years. Jesus sang “the worship song” with His disciples the last night they were
together when He established Communion. They simply put a melody to Psalm
115-118. The book of Psalms is the book of comfort and power that gives new
courage to finish the race.
Now I am gonna prepare for our last festival night! Pray for us! If you are in Stockholm, welcome to our Celebration at Norra Latin at 4 pm!
See ya!
