19. The Secret Language of the Psalms

Why should we pray the Psalms slowly?

In this reflective teaching, John Ortberg explores the nature of Hebrew poetry, the structure of the Psalms, and why the language of prayer was never meant to be rushed.

Using Psalm 90 and several other Psalms, John unpacks the beauty of biblical parallelism — repetition, pivots, refrains, and poetic movement that deepen meaning and slow the soul down enough to notice God.

This episode explores:
- Why the Psalms are poetry, not prose
- Hebrew parallelism explained simply
- Why repetition matters spiritually
- Psalm 23, Psalm 88, and Psalm 90
- Jesus’ use of poetic teaching
- Prayer as attentiveness rather than efficiency

Featuring reflections from:
- Eugene Peterson
- C.S. Lewis
- Robert Lowth

Scriptures:
- Psalm 90
- Psalm 23
- Psalm 88
- Matthew 7

#Psalms #Prayer #JohnOrtberg #SpiritualFormation #HebrewPoetry #BibleStudy #Psalm90 #ChristianFaith #EugenePeterson #CSLewis


📚 Today's Resources:
Answering God — by Eugene Peterson
Reflections on the Psalms — by C. S. Lewis


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00:00 The One Word for Praying the Psalms
00:21 Psalm 90 & Numbering Our Days
00:51 Why the Psalms Repeat Themselves
01:08 The Psalms Are Poetry, Not Prose
01:34 Hebrew Parallelism Explained
02:03 Robert Lowth & Hebrew Poetry
02:59 Poetry Carries Thought Forward
03:24 “It Doesn’t Rhyme!”
04:04 Eugene Peterson on Poetry & Prayer
05:06 Why the Psalms Slow Us Down
06:02 Psalm 8 & Returning Home
07:18 Psalm 23 & Poetic Pivoting
08:06 Psalm 88 & Unresolved Anguish
09:21 The Psalms Were Never Meant for Speed Reading
09:44 Jesus Used Parallelism Too
10:14 “Judge Not…” Explained
10:37 “Ask, Seek, Knock”
11:23 Prayer, Patience & Attention
11:56 The Language of the Soul