How Do I Pray the Psalms of the Day?
First, find out what the day of the month is. Each day of the month has five Psalms of the day (with the exception of Day 31). Next, pick one of the five Psalms of the Day and read it. Familiarize yourself with its themes and emphases, its words, and its phrases. Then, allow those words and phrases to inform your prayer.
Example: If the Psalm of the Day is Psalm 145, and you read, “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts,” then you might pray something like, “Lord, I know that you desire for me to declare your works to the next generation, but I struggle with sharing my faith. Help me to become bold in sharing my faith. Help me want to tell others about you and your wonderful works. You desire for people to know you, so enable to me to do that which you desire in order that the coming generation will praise your name.”
Simply let the Psalm inform your prayer. Read the words of the Psalm and stop whenever a word or phrase prompts you to pray. Finally, continue praying through the other four Psalms of the Day, repeating the same process. This is supposed to be a spiritually-fulfilling practice, so don’t view it as a chore or something to check off your list of things to do. Instead, spread out the five Psalms throughout the day, and stay in constant communion with the Lord, drawing closer to Him in prayer.
When the day of the month is . . . |
The Psalms of the Day are . . . |
1 |
1; 31; 61; 91; 121 |
2 |
2; 32; 62; 92; 122 |
3 |
3; 33; 63; 93; 123 |
4 |
4; 34; 64; 94; 124 |
5 |
5; 35; 65; 95; 125 |
6 |
6; 36; 66; 96; 126 |
7 |
7; 37; 67; 97; 127 |
8 |
8; 38; 68; 98; 128 |
9 |
9; 39; 69; 99; 129 |
10 |
10; 40; 70; 100; 130 |
11 |
11; 41; 71; 101; 131 |
12 |
12; 42; 72; 102; 132 |
13 |
13; 43; 73; 103; 133 |
14 |
14; 44; 74; 104; 134 |
15 |
15; 45; 75; 105; 135 |
16 |
16; 46; 76; 106; 136 |
17 |
17; 47; 77; 107; 137 |
18 |
18; 48; 78; 108; 138 |
19 |
19; 49; 79; 109; 139 |
20 |
20; 50; 80; 110; 140 |
21 |
21; 51; 81; 111; 141 |
22 |
22; 52; 82; 112; 142 |
23 |
23; 53; 83; 113; 143 |
24 |
24; 54; 84; 114; 144 |
25 |
25; 55; 85; 115; 145 |
26 |
26; 56; 86; 116; 146 |
27 |
27; 57; 87; 117; 147 |
28 |
28; 58; 88; 118; 148 |
29 |
29; 59; 89; 119; 149 |
30 |
30; 60; 90; 120; 150 |
31 |
119 |
This chart and its content come from Appendix 1 of Don Whitney’s Praying the Bible.
Whitney, Donald S. Praying the Bible. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2015.