Over the summer, we have taken time to study the Psalms at The Heart LA Church. Did you know there are 150 chapters in this book located right in the center of the Bible? Each one of those chapters has different genres and authors that impact the way you read it. Here are four tips to help you study the Psalms.

Tip #1: Read Through all the Psalms.

One of the greatest ways to study the Psalms is to simply read through the different chapters. From the shortest chapter found in Psalm 117 to the longest chapter found in Psalm 119, there is so much insight and understanding to be gained.

The book of Psalms was said to be a manual or a handbook to teach Jesus-followers how to pray. It is also believed to be the songbook for Jewish people and even the early church. Even today, many of our more contemporary songs are found right from the verses in this book. This is a great tool for us to use today for worship and prayer.

Sometimes it can be hard to read the Scriptures on your own. The YouVersion Bible app is an amazing tool you can use to keep track of your progress and join a friend as you read. At the Heart LA church, we journeyed together through a Bible-reading plan simply called Psalms.

Tip #2: Know the Genre of the Psalm You are Reading.

Any time you read the Bible, knowing what genre of writing you are reading is extremely important. There are some book like Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that are history. These books talk about what actually took place. Other books are the law genre which practically speak to the laws that were laid out in the Old Testament. Still others are a combination of prophetic writings that tell about the future.

Psalms is a book of poetry. Depending on which commentary or theologian you are reading, there are many different opinions about the different genres of the Psalms. Here are a list of some of the different genres you will find:

• Wisdom
• Truth
• Praise
• Thanksgiving
• Lament
• Royal
• Hymn

An interesting fact is that there are more laments than any other type of Psalms. Many of these are from King David himself as he cried out to God in dismay, agony, or pain. Many times he even questioned the location of God. These Psalms are encouraging because they show us that there is permission to have even the hardest conversations with God. Remember, this is a handbook on how to pray. God wants to have those hard conversations with you. He can handle it.

Tip #3: Research Who Wrote the Psalm You are Studying.

Another tool as you study the Psalms is to find out who wrote the particular Psalm you are reading. Most of the Psalms are written by David; however, there are some written by Solomon, Moses, and even many that are anonymous. The reason this is important is to know who was speaking.

Psalm 51 is a prayer of repentance written by David after he committed murder and adultery. This helps us understand what is being said and how that can apply to our lives.

Tip #4: Meditate on the Scripture.

"But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night."

Psalm 1:2 NLT

We are instructed to meditate on God's word. We don't just read through it and run off to the next thing. We read it slowly. We pause and reflect. We write it down. We even memorize the different verses so it can come back to our memories in a time of need.

Sometimes, it can take time to really understand the meaning behind a Bible verse. You can grab meaning from Scripture right away. Even still, after some time you can gain even more understanding than before.

Tip #5: Pray for Understanding When You Study the Psalms.

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."

John 16:13 NIV

At the end of the day, we need the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. When you study the Psalms, pray that God would speak to you. Pray for understanding. Pray for the Holy Spirit to remove any preconceived ideas that are not from him. Ask that he would reveal fresh revelation to you as you study the Psalms. This is the greatest tips when you study the Psalms or any book of the Bible!

We hope this article helped you as you study the Psalms. Our desire is to build people up to love God and love their neighbor. One way you can grow in your relationship with God is to know the Scripture better. We hope this article helped you.

Check out our YouTube channel to watch our series on the Book of Psalms from the summer of 2023.
Click Here: The Heart LA Channel

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