In RW 91, Rev. Hoogeboom shared a congregational prayer based on Psalm 96. Writing psalm-based prayers is a practice he’s continued, so we invited him to share another along with some notes about his process.
The Process
Choosing the Psalm
By praying the psalms in corporate worship I’ve grown to see more clearly that prayer is a way for our congregation to join in the Holy Spirit’s work. My own participation in that work begins by searching for a psalm that shares a thematic element with a particular Sunday’s service. In this case, I chose Psalm 96. Its emphasis on all the earth joining in the new salvation song of the Lord matched the missional theme of our Pentecost Sunday service.
Study
Once I find a psalm to guide the prayer, I read it, study it, and pray it. I consult a commentary to grasp the psalm’s structure, theme, and images. Psalm 96’s outline looks like this:
- Summons to praise (vs. 1–3)
- Reasons to praise (vs. 4–6)
- True worship is necessary
a. False worship is the norm
b. The King rules from his sanctuary - Missionary call to worship the Lord (vs. 7–9)
- Commissioning the nations to mission (vs. 10–13)
Personal Prayer
Study leads me to reflect on how to use the psalm in my personal prayer practice. In this case, praying Psalm 96 brought to mind the names and faces of people I care about in Turkey, where I worked for six years, and for the church there that is joining in the new salvation song.
Congregational Prayer
After engaging with the psalm in this personal way, I begin to reflect on how to pray it for the whole congregation. What struck me with Psalm 96 is the tension between the idolatry of the nations and the call for the nations to join in praising God. I aimed to convey this same tension by placing the statements about idolatry, rebellion, and our sinfulness alongside the saving work of Jesus Christ.
These general statements of God’s mission then moved to praying for the work of the missionaries we support. The beauty of praying Psalm 96 is that it recognizes that the same Spirit who inspired the ancient words of this psalm also is inspiring God’s people today to join in his mission. The Lord is answering the prayer through the participation of the people who are praying—those in the pew as well as the missionaries we support. Praying Psalm 96 is one way the Spirit passes on the flame of Pentecost today, tomorrow, and always.
The Prayer
O Lord, Creator of the heavens and the earth, we sing to you of your glory and power. We sing to you a new song of praise for your fresh mercy, which has sustained and promoted your mission to this earth. We sing to you a new song for your salvation, which gives us a reason and the ability to sing.
The gods of the nations are idols. The people of the nations worship the works of their own hands: gods who cannot speak, hear, or save.
But you, O Lord, are worthy of praise. You are to be worshiped above idols. You are the Creator of the heavens and the earth. You reign from your sanctuary with splendor and majesty, strength and glory. You are great, O Lord, and worthy of praise. You are to be worshiped above everything else.
You have gathered us here this morning to praise you for your missionary work in this fallen, rebellious world. We cannot come to you on our own because we are afraid, ashamed, and ruined by our own sin. So you came to us. You made a promise to your people to dwell with us and to save us. Through your people Israel, you called the nations to yourself. In your Son Jesus Christ, you reconciled nations to yourself. And now you have sent us, your church, to the people of the nations to preach the good news of reconciliation. Holy Spirit, move in and through your church so that all the earth may join in the new salvation song of the Lord.
We celebrate your work in and through our congregation. You have used us in mighty ways in the missionary work of your church. You answered our prayers: Non-believers believed and were baptized. You used us to raise money to support missionaries around the world. Through cards and letters you sustained the work of missionaries both near and far away. Holy Spirit, help us to use the things we have been blessed with—money, time, or talent—to be a blessing to others, so that all the earth may join in the new salvation song of the Lord.
This morning we praise you for the work of the missionaries supported by this congregation. We lift up all those working in . . . [insert the places that missionaries supported by your congregation work, including their names and specific petitions as appropriate]. Give them strength when they are weak. Comfort them in their loneliness. As they bring the gospel of reconciliation through Jesus Christ, assure them of your presence and surround them with your peace, and may your will be done here as it is in heaven. Holy Spirit, move in and through each of your servants so that all the earth may join in the new salvation song of the Lord.
This morning we praise you for the work of our own members, who have represented this congregation in places such as . . . [name the missional efforts by congregational members, including in their workplaces, neighborhoods, and schools]. May the seeds they have sown bear fruit in those places and in the lives they touched. Holy Spirit, move in and through us so that all the earth may join in the new salvation song of the Lord.
Judge of the heavens and the earth, we long for your coming again, the day when there will be no more death and sickness. [Insert prayers for those who are sick or are mourning.] Holy Spirit, heal our world so that all the earth may join in the new salvation song of the Lord.
We long for the day when we will join in the new song of the new heavens and earth, that day when you establish justice and righteousness and all the peoples of every tribe and nation will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [Insert prayers for situations of injustice in our community and around the world.] Holy Spirit, renew our world so that all the earth may join in the new salvation song of the Lord.
Triune God, may your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen!