Psalm 9 handout

A Primer on Praise and Prayer

Psalm 9

Emotional honesty, but also form / literary artistry (acrostic poem)

The value of set prayers / liturgy / hymns / the psalms etc.

Explicit and deliberate praise (cf. Ps 8:1, 9)

Who / what do you praise?

V1 – Praise the LORD – Yahweh

V1 – with all my heart

Reasons to praise God:

(1) What he has done (v1)

Cf. creation – Ps 8:1, 3, 7-8

(2) Who he is (v2)

What does the Psalmist encourage us to praise God for and pray about?

(1) God gives the Psalmist victory over his enemies (vv3-6, 19-20)

(2) God will rule in righteousness (vv7-18)