Several years ago I bought a book called The Psalms for Prayer, compiled by T.M. Moore. It includes a great introduction about using the Psalms as part of your prayer life. The bulk of the book is the entire Psalms in the New King James Version. But it’s not just the Psalms. Each Psalm also includes a short introduction, a suggested related New Testament reading, and prayer suggestions placed throughout the Psalm in bold. If you are looking for a way to deepen your prayer life and make the prayers of the Psalms your own, I highly recommend this book.
As I was reading in this book the other night, I landed on Psalm 5, and I love how it is specifically a prayer, as David says “Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.” The suggested NT reading is 1 Corinthians 10:13-14.
Psalm 5
To the Chief Musician. With flutes. A Psalm of David.
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my meditation.
2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.