First, I read the psalm slowly, meditating on it and letting its words and themes penetrate deep into my heart. I try to feel the words of the Psalter. At this phase, I’m asking myself questions. Is the Psalmist expressing thoughts and emotions that I feel right now? Could I feel this if I let myself? To what circumstances in my life might this psalm apply? Could this apply to anyone I know? Could I pray this for them?

I think the Psalms have been so popular over the years because they are so applicable. The Psalmists don’t try to “pretty up” the human condition. They’re honest. They ask tough questions of themselves and God. Their raw emotion, especially when dealing with their enemies, can make us uncomfortable because the Psalmists have no problem admitting emotions we try to hide—thoughts and feelings that seem to have no place in the mind or heart of a Christian. We shouldn’t avoid these elements of the psalms but embrace them. I think their honesty is a big part of their beauty and can help us connect with God.

Secondly, I pay attention to the kind of psalm I’m praying. Dennis Bratcher lists three of the most prominent and relevant types:

Lament psalms are the most numerous. These psalms are a cry to God from distress, pain or sorrow, either from the individual (13, 22) or the community (74). Often they begin with the question “Why?” and end in an affirmation of faith in God from the midst of the pain. Thanksgiving psalms express thanks and praise to God in response to some action or circumstance in which God’s faithfulness and love have been experienced (18, 138, 107). Hymns offer praise to God simply for who He is, as Creator of the Universe and Lord of History (8, 66, 113).

I view a Psalm as a progression into God’s presence from where I am currently. If I am distressed or overwhelmed, a lament takes me on a journey from my current state into God’s presence where I can find peace and strength. If I feel the weight of my sin, a penitential psalm—a specific kind of lament—leads me from the shame and guilt of my sin to the forgiveness and restoration found in God’s grace and mercy toward me. When I am thankful, a thanksgiving psalm is perfect. Hymns serve as wonderful opportunities for me to put my trust in the psalm’s revelation of God’s character rather than in my current circumstances and praise him for his kindness and goodness.

So, I take note of the overall flow of the psalm. How will praying this psalm take me from my current experiences into the experience God wants me to have?

Thirdly, I reread the psalm as my personal prayer to God. Sometimes I am so moved by a particular part of a psalm that I leave the written words and begin to cry out to God from my own experience. Then, I return and continue praying my way through the psalm.