Psalm 150: Praying Our Praise
ALL PRAYER FINALLY, in one way or another, becomes praise. Psalm 150 is deliberately placed as the concluding prayer of the church's book of prayers. No matter how much we suffer, no matter our doubts—everything finds its way into praise, the final consummating prayer.
Warming Up to God
What circumstances or feelings in the last year have, however momentarily, made a praising person out of you? Reflect on that again in joy, celebrating with Christ.
Read Psalm 150. »
Discovering the Word
- How many times is the word praise used in the psalm?
- Verse 1 tells us where the Lord is to be praised. What is the meaning of "in his sanctuary" and "in his mighty heavens"?
- Verse 2 tells uswhy he is to be praised. What reasons does the psalmist give?
- Verses 3-5 tell us how to praise the Lord. As you read these verses, what kind of scene do you imagine?
Applying the Word
- Building on verse 2, what reasons can you give for praising God?
- There are no shortcuts to praise. We can see this in many psalms that express pain. What difficult circumstances in your life have found their way into praise?
- Augustine claimed that a "Christian should be a hallelujah from head to foot." What needs to be done to get to that point?
Responding in Prayer
Gather the reflections and insights that have come from you study and turn them into a time of concluding and celebrative praise.
For Further Study
How Sweet the Sound by Richard Allen Farmer