1. The Greatest Prayer You Ever Prayed

What if your life is already headed in a direction… and you didn’t choose it?
Psalm 1 says there are only two ways to live and only one leads to flourishing.

In this opening teaching of a new series on the Psalms, John Ortberg invites us into one of the most important questions we can ask: What is my way of life leading to?
Psalm 1 describes a person who is “blessed”—not just happy, but deeply rooted, steady, and flourishing. And it contrasts that life with another path we can slowly drift into without even noticing. Through reflection, story, and guided prayer, this teaching helps you examine your own direction and begin to re-center your life around God.
You’ll also be invited to actually pray the Psalm—to let it shape your thoughts, your desires, and your daily decisions.

📚 Today's Resources:
Thomas Merton, Praying the Psalms 
Markham Heid, “The Number of Words You Say in a Day is Shrinking,” Time, 28 April 2026.
McKay Coppins, “Sucker: My Year as a Degenerate Gambler,” The Atlantic, 12 March 2026

Music Credits:

Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE

Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF

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00:00 – Opening Prayer: “May the words…”
 00:22 – Why Prayer Matters to God
 01:25 – The Psalms: Every Emotion with God
 02:41 – Why the Psalms Transform Us
 03:02 – Do You Need Wisdom Right Now?
 03:32 – What Does “Blessed” Really Mean?
 04:18 – Everyone Has a Way of Life
 04:44 – Flourishing vs. Drifting
 05:09 – The Danger of Slow Drift
 05:40 – Walking → Standing → Sitting (The Progression)
 06:29 – Modern Life Is Forming You (More Than You Think)
 07:13 – Even “Religious” Lives Can Miss This
 07:40 – The Tree Planted by Water
 08:10 – What It Means to Meditate on God
 08:52 – Training Your Mind to Delight
 09:21 – What You Fill Your Mind With Shapes You
 09:43 – Two Ways to See People: Exploit or Love
 10:35 – The “Wicked” vs “Righteous” (In All of Us)
 10:58 – Guided Prayer: Ask God for Flourishing
 11:37 – Where Do You Need Wisdom Today?