What Is the Book of Psalms?

The book of Psalms is a collection of 150 poems found in the Old Testament of the Bible.

They were written to be used as songs and prayers for praising and worshipping God.

Authors include King David, King Solomon, Asaph, the sons of Korah, and at least four others.

 

There are several kinds of Psalms.

They are:

Lament Psalms – In these, the writer shares his struggles and sorrows but then turns it around by saying, “But God,” and talking about God and His faithfulness.

Praise Psalms – These Psalms are full of praise and worship to God. They declare His majesty, power, and faithfulness.

Thanksgiving Psalms – These focus on thanking God for who He is and What He’s done.

Wisdom Psalms – These Psalms offer wisdom and guidance concerning God and our faith walk.

Kingship Psalms – There are two types of Kingship Psalms. One focuses on the fact God. is King of all and rules the world. The other focuses on earthly kings and how they interact with God.

General Psalms – There are a few Psalms that do not fit into any of the above categories. They are considered general Psalms.

 

No matter what we are going through, there is a psalm that matches our feelings.

Reading one that speaks to what we are experiencing does several things:

1- It helps us see we are not alone. Knowing others have had the feelings or problems we are currently struggling with can make it easier for us to bear our current situation.

2- It points us back to God. Because every Psalm is written to and/or about God, it brings our focus back to Him and off ourselves, problems or situation. It reminds us to go to Him, not just sit and worry or be upset.

3- It encourages us. Over and over the Psalms say, “But God,” and then talk about how God helped in the past, how He loves us, and how He wants to take care of us now. Being reminded of these things helps us to see there is hope and that He will help us this time, too.

4- It reminds us God is worthy of our praise and worship. The Psalms talk about God, His majesty, power, love, and kindness. Reading these things stirs up our hearts and helps us have the desire to praise and worship Him.

 

When we spend time in the Psalms we learn how and what we should praise God for.

Seeing the words the Psalmists used, we see good examples of what to say and how to say it.

This helps us to better praise God ourselves.

Praising God draws us closer to Him and strengthens our faith in Him.

This is an important part of our faith walk and deserves our attention..

i encourage you to spend some time studying the book of Psalms and to learn more about praising God for His great love for us.

 

 

Psalm Examples:

Lament Psalm – Psalm 51

Praise – Psalm 8

Thanksgiving – Psalm 100

Wisdom – Psalm 37

Kingship – God is King of all – Psalm 47    Earthly kings and their interactions with God – Psalm 72

General – Psalm 123