Scripture Meditation: Martin Luther on Meditating on the Psalms

Martin Luther (d. 1546) described his own method of Scripture meditation in a letter to his barber, Peter Beskendorf, titled "A Simple Way to Pray." For each text, Luther recommended a fourfold approach: "I take each commandment, first as a teaching, to consider what God requires of me; second, as a thanksgiving, to consider what God has given me; third, as a confession, to consider where I have fallen short; fourth, as a prayer, to ask God for what I need."

Luther was especially devoted to the Psalms, which he called "a little Bible" containing the whole of Scripture in summary. He wrote: "Where does one find finer words of joy than in the Psalms of praise and thanksgiving? There you look into the hearts of all the saints, as into fair and pleasant gardens." Luther meditated on the Psalms daily and found them inexhaustible.

Practical application: Choose one Psalm per week. Read it daily using Luther's fourfold method: What does it teach? What can I thank God for? Where have I fallen short? What do I need from God? By Friday, you will find the Psalm has worked its way deep into your heart and prayer life.