The Psalter as Prayer

Using the psalms as a handbook for the spiritual life

The​ ​Psalter​ ​is​ ​a​ ​handbook​ ​for​ ​the​ ​spiritual​ ​life​ ​that​ ​provides​ ​us​ ​with​ ​“fitting​ ​words”¹ ​for every​ ​situation.​ ​As​ ​a​ ​teacher​ ​of​ ​both​ ​prayer​ ​and​ ​repentance,​ ​it​ ​first​ ​calls​ ​us​ ​to​ ​lay​ ​the​ ​foundation of​ ​prayer,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​stillness​ ​of​ ​mind,​ ​following​ ​which​ ​it​ ​enables​ ​us​ ​to​ ​observe​ ​the​ ​“movements​ ​of [our]​ ​soul[s]”​ ​that​ ​we​ ​might​ ​“learn​ ​the​ ​way​ ​to​ ​remedy​ ​[our]​ ​ill[ness].”² ​When​ ​chanted​ ​as​ ​prayer, we​ ​experience​ ​the​ ​Psalter’s​ ​words​ ​as​ ​though​ ​they​ ​were​ ​our​ ​own.3³ ​As​ ​such,​ ​these​ ​words​ ​till​ ​the garden​ ​of​ ​our​ ​souls​ ​planting​ ​seeds​ ​of​ ​every​ ​spiritual​ ​fruit.⁴ ​But​ ​these​ ​seeds​ ​will​ ​not​ ​sprout​ ​unless they​ ​are​ ​watered​ ​by​ ​a​ ​​living​ ​prayer​​ ​–​ ​the​ ​life​ ​of​ ​one​ ​who​ ​not​ ​only​ ​hears​ ​the​ ​words​ ​but​ ​also understands​ ​and​ ​acts​ ​in​ ​accord​ ​with​ ​them.⁵ ​In​ ​this​ ​way,​ ​the​ ​Psalter​ ​can​ ​be​ ​considered​ ​a​ ​practical instructor​ ​in​ ​prayer,⁶ ​a​ ​springboard​ ​to​ ​repentance,​ ​​ ​an​ ​unparalleled​ ​resource​ ​in​ ​which​ ​is​ ​contained the​ ​mysteries​ ​of​ ​the​ ​heights​ ​and​ ​depths​ ​of​ ​human​ ​experience.

In​ ​his​ ​​Letter​ ​to​ ​Marcellinus​,​ ​Saint​ ​Athanasius​ ​the​ ​Great​ ​outlines​ ​a​ ​number​ ​of​ ​situations​ ​in which​ ​we​ ​can​ ​use​ ​the​ ​Psalter​ ​as​ ​prayer​ ​and​ ​experience​ ​its​ ​words​ ​as​ ​though​ ​they​ ​are​ ​our​ ​own:​ ​if we​ ​are​ ​persecuted​ ​by​ ​our​ ​family​ ​we​ ​recite​ ​Psalm​ ​3,​ ​if​ ​we​ ​feel​ ​faint-hearted​ ​we​ ​say​ ​Psalm​ ​26,​ ​and if​ ​we​ ​have​ ​sinned​ ​we​ ​penitently​ ​ask​ ​for​ ​God’s​ ​mercy​ ​with​ ​Psalm​ ​50⁷ ​Furthermore,​ ​we​ ​can​ ​use certain​ ​verses​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Psalter​ ​as​ ​short,​ ​repetitive​ ​prayers​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Psalm​ ​69:1,​ ​which​ ​can​ ​be considered​ ​a​ ​precursor​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Jesus​ ​Prayer.​ ​When​ ​we​ ​pray​ ​the​ ​Psalter​ ​in​ ​such​ ​situations,​ ​we​ ​find that​ ​the​ ​cares​ ​of​ ​this​ ​world​ ​fade​ ​away⁸ ​and​ ​the​ ​basin​ ​of​ ​our​ ​soul​ ​is​ ​filled​ ​to​ ​the​ ​brim.⁹

But​ ​we​ ​should​ ​not​ ​assume​ ​that​ ​our​ ​prayer​ ​will​ ​be​ ​heard,​ ​and​ ​answered,​ ​unconditionally. For​ ​even​ ​David​ ​“suggested​ ​as​ ​much…begging​ ​to​ ​be​ ​heard​ ​not​ ​unconditionally​ ​but​ ​with​ ​the proviso​ ​that​ ​he​ ​made​ ​an​ ​effort​ ​of​ ​his​ ​own.”¹⁰ ​Rather,​ ​we​ ​should​ ​“stir​ ​up​ ​[our]​ ​very​ ​heart​ ​in​ ​its entirety,​ ​calling​ ​on​ ​God​ ​with​ ​deep​ ​compunction.”¹¹ ​In​ ​this​ ​way​ ​we​ ​go​ ​about​ ​“shouting​ ​in​ ​the heart​ ​[which]​ ​gathers​ ​together​ ​all​ ​the​ ​powers​ ​of​ ​thought.”​ ​Such​ ​“prayers…have​ ​immense​ ​force, not​ ​being​ ​overturned​ ​or​ ​undermine,​ ​even​ ​should​ ​the​ ​devil​ ​attack​ ​with​ ​great​ ​impetus.”¹² ​Thus, when​ ​we​ ​pray​ ​the​ ​Psalter​ ​in​ ​accord​ ​with​ ​a​ ​prayerful​ ​way​ ​of​ ​life,​ ​we​ ​receive​ ​countless​ ​blessings​ ​– for​ ​in​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​being​ ​taught​ ​prayer​ ​and​ ​repentance​ ​by​ ​it,​ ​the​ ​words​ ​themselves​ ​act​ ​as​ ​a​ ​balm for​ ​our​ ​souls.​ ​In​ ​this​ ​way​ ​the​ ​Psalter​ ​moves​ ​us​ ​from​ ​the​ ​beginning​ ​stages​ ​of​ ​the​ ​spiritual​ ​life where​ ​we​ ​turn​ ​from​ ​evil​ ​to​ ​higher​ ​and​ ​higher​ ​stages,​ ​that​ ​we​ ​might​ ​cry​ ​with​ ​David,​ ​“ready​ ​is​ ​my heart,​ ​O​ ​God.”¹³

1. St.​ ​Athanasius,​ ​​Letter​ ​to​ ​Marcellinus​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Interpretation​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Psalms​,​ ​p.​ ​103,​ ​104:​ ​“whatever​ ​particular​ ​need​ ​or trouble,​ ​from​ ​this​ ​same​ ​book​ ​you​ ​can​ ​select​ ​a​ ​form​ ​of​ ​words​ ​to​ ​fit​ ​it…the​ ​Psalms​ ​not​ ​only​ ​exhort​ ​us​ ​to​ ​be​ ​thankful, they​ ​also​ ​provide​ ​us​ ​with​ ​fitting​ ​words​ ​to​ ​say.”

2. Psalm​ ​45:10;​ ​Ibid,​ ​p.​ ​104.

3. See​ ​St.​ ​Athanasius,​ ​op.​ ​cit.,​ ​p.​ ​104.

4. See​ ​St.​ ​Athanasius,​ ​​Letter​ ​to​ ​Marcellinus​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Interpretation​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Psalms​,​ ​p.​ ​98.​ ​While​ ​St.​ ​Athanasius​ ​uses​ ​the garden​ ​analogy​ ​to​ ​specifically​ ​refer​ ​to​ ​the​ ​fruits​ ​within​ ​the​ ​Psalter​ ​itself,​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​the​ ​same​ ​analogy​ ​can​ ​be​ ​extended into​ ​the​ ​spiritual​ ​life​ ​of​ ​those​ ​who​ ​sincerely​ ​use​ ​the​ ​Psalter​ ​as​ ​prayer.​ ​Saint​ ​Athanasius​ ​seems​ ​to​ ​imply​ ​this​ ​also​ ​on pp.​ ​107–109.

5. “​Living​ ​Prayer​”​ ​is​ ​a​ ​tip-of-the-hat​ ​to​ ​Met.​ ​Anthony​ ​Bloom​ ​who​ ​has​ ​a​ ​book​ ​bearing​ ​the​ ​same​ ​name;​ ​See​ ​also​ ​the Parable​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Sower​ ​(Matthew​ ​13).

6. In​ ​the​ ​same​ ​way​ ​that​ ​Chrysostom​ ​hearkens​ ​us​ ​to​ ​“learn​ ​from​ ​the​ ​tax​ ​collector…[who]​ ​admitted​ ​his​ ​own wretchedness,”​ ​we​ ​learn​ ​prayer​ ​by​ ​praying​ ​the​ ​Psalter.​ ​(​Commentary​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Psalms,​ ​​Vol.​ ​1,​ ​p.​ ​51​ ​[on​ ​Psalm​ ​4]).

7. See​ ​St.​ ​Athanasius,​ ​op.​ ​cit.,​ ​pp.​ ​107,​ ​108,​ ​110.​ ​This​ ​translation​ ​of​ ​St.​ ​Athanasius​ ​uses​ ​the​ ​Hebrew​ ​numbering​ ​– but above​ ​I​ ​have​ ​used​ ​the​ ​Septuagint​ ​numbering.​ ​Saint​ ​Athanasius​ ​continues​ ​this​ ​theme​ ​through​ ​p.​ ​114.

8. See​ ​St.​ ​Ambrose​, ​​Concerning​ ​Virgins​​ ​3.4.19:​ ​“And​ ​again​ ​in​ ​your​ ​bed-chamber​ ​itself,​ ​I​ ​would​ ​have​ ​you​ ​join​ ​psalms in​ ​frequent​ ​interchange​ ​with​ ​the​ ​Lord’s​ ​prayer,​ ​either​ ​when​ ​you​ ​wake​ ​up,​ ​or​ ​before​ ​sleep​ ​bedews​ ​your​ ​body,​ ​so​ ​that at​ ​the​ ​very​ ​commencement​ ​of​ ​rest​ ​sleep​ ​may​ ​find​ ​you​ ​free​ ​from​ ​the​ ​care​ ​of​ ​worldly​ ​matters,​ ​meditating​ ​upon​ ​the things​ ​of​ ​God.”

9. This​ ​is​ ​an​ ​oblique​ ​reference​ ​to​ ​something​ ​Ambrose​ ​says​ ​in​ ​​On​ ​the​ ​Holy​ ​Spirit,​ ​​1.16:​ ​“There​ ​is​ ​also​ ​a​ ​certain​ ​water which​ ​we​ ​put​ ​into​ ​the​ ​basin​ ​of​ ​our​ ​soul,​ ​water​ ​from​ ​the​ ​fleece​ ​and​ ​from​ ​the​ ​Book​ ​of​ ​Judges;​ ​water,​ ​too,​ ​from​ ​the Book​ ​of​ ​Psalms.”

10. St.​ ​John​ ​Chrysostom,​ ​​Commentary​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Psalms,​ ​​Vol​ ​1.,​ ​p.​ ​117;​ ​on​ ​Psalm​ ​7​ ​(and​ ​the​ ​preceding​ ​Psalm).

11. Ibid,​ ​Vol.​ ​2,​ ​p.​ ​180,​ ​commenting​ ​on​ ​Psalm​ ​129​ ​(LXX):​ ​Hill​ ​(trans.) also​ ​uses​ ​the​ ​Hebrew​ ​numbering,​ ​so​ ​in​ ​the​ ​book​ ​it’s referenced​ ​as​ ​Psalm​ ​130.

12. Ibid,​ ​Vol.​ ​2,​ ​p.​ ​266.

13. Psalm​ ​56:10​ ​(LXX).

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WORKS CITED

Athanasius​ ​the​ ​Great.​ ​N.d.​ ​​Letter​ ​to​ ​Marcellinus​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Interpretation​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Psalms​. Class​ ​Handout.

John​ ​Chrysostom.​ ​1998.​ ​​Commentary​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Psalms​,​ ​Vol.​ ​1.​ ​Trans.​ ​Robert​ ​C.​ ​Hill. Brookline,​ ​Massachusetts:​ ​Holy​ ​Cross​ ​Orthodox​ ​Press.

John​ ​Chrysostom.​ ​1998.​ ​​Commentary​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Psalms​,​ ​Vol.​ ​2.​ ​Trans.​ ​Robert​ ​C.​ ​Hill.