A Help for using the Psalms in Personal and Family Worship

This 450 page book is an aid and an encouragement to Christians to use the Biblical Psalms in personal and family workship. It provides 365 short devotional and expository notes covering the whole book of Psalms in a year, together with eleven appendices and discussion points for each daily portion. The daily portions are manageably short - about six verses each day.

We saw that help was needed to assist the many Christians today who would not know where to start in singing the Psalms, and who are unaware of the resources that are available.

The Book therefore answers questions 'Who should sing Psalms?'; 'Why should we sing the Psalms?'; 'When should we sing the Psalms?'; 'Where should we sing the Psalms?'; 'How should we sing the Psalms?'; 'What about the Psalms that seem to wish bad things on the enemies of Israel?

We have included 'Thinking Points' for each daily portion that can be used to help participation in family worship, or to give individuals further things to consider.

Although the initial intention was to encourage family worship with the singing of Psalms, recent developments give fresh urgency and fresh impetus to the recovery of personal and family sung worship. Covid lockdowns demonstrated the power and willingness of the State to interfere with Church life.

It remains to be seen what the outcome will be of the online experimentation with worship that has mushroomed during lockdowns. The promise of the Lord Jesus to be with two or three gathered together surely requires 'gathering' rather than logging in with anonymous individuals.

We believe family worship is an essential element of local Church gathering. Well established family worship under the guidance of Church leadership is the best bulwark against the encroachment of the State in times of crisis. It is our prayer that the Help and Simply Psalms for Singing may assist to that end.

The book can be used as originally intended with a range of Psalm books for singing that are available. Those who already sing Psalms in Church may choose to use their familiar psalter with it. However we have simultaneously published a new translation for singing in verse form Every Psalm for Easy Singing that uses the same 365 portions of the daily notes. Some may choose to buy this to use with this Help.