A friend whose son is battling an addiction told me, “It’s like a downed electrical wire–I can’t touch it. I can’t even pray about it.” How do you talk to God when you feel lost, hurting, sorrowful, abandoned, or angry? And how do you pray when you’re flooded with joy, hope, or gratitude? 

In his fatherly goodness, the Triune God has given us a book of prayers for real life–the Psalms. Through the Psalms God has basically said, “Here are the words to use both for life’s painful and happy experiences. Pray them together or alone. Pray them out loud or silently. Discover that there’s nothing you experience, feel,  think, or desire–no dark secret, doubt, or desolation–that cannot be brought into my healing presence.” 

For the next 12 weeks we’ll explore a dozen of the 150 prayers in the Psalms, but we’ll especially focus on the more raw and less “pious-sounding” prayers. These Psalms don’t just console us; they also transform us. Studying and praying these Psalms together can ignite a desire for revival and justice, enable us to be angry in the light of God’s presence, revel in God’s good creation, and bring our sorrows right into our worship services. So join us as we travel together through God’s beautiful and messy prayers for real life.

And if you enjoy journaling your prayers, check out this illuminated Scripture journal.

-Fr. Matt Woodley, Cathedral Vicar