For a detailed overview of the POST study method, refer to Monday’s email or go to tpcc.org/dbr and find Week 1: Day 1 of Summer in the Psalms.
Step 1: Pray and Prepare
Invite the Holy Spirit into your time, asking Him to teach you and speak to your heart. Turn over anything that may be distracting you.
Before starting the next step, take a few minutes to prepare. Read over the notes you've taken this week to refresh your memory on the Psalms.
Step 2: Observe
Read Psalm 5 multiple times for comprehension. Write down what you observe and any questions that come up as you read.
Study Tip: Many of the Psalms include a style of poetry called parallelism where two lines are connected by an idea, grammatical structure, or part of speech.
Psalm 5 is full of synonymous parallels, meaning the first and second lines repeat the same statement or idea in different words. For example, look at verse 1 in the NLT. The first line says, “hear me” and the second line says, “pay attention.” These repeating verbs, or action words, are intentional and enhance both the rhythm and the meaning of the psalm. Note every instance of synonymous parallelism you can find in Psalm 5.
Step 3: Seek Out
Now read other translations, commentaries, or study Bible notes to check your work from Step 2, gain further insight into the passage, and answer any remaining questions you have.
Step 4: Take Action
- What does Psalm 5 teach you about God and following Him?
- What is God saying to you as you read His Word and listen to His voice?
- What do you need to do to obey?
Review the notes you’ve taken over the past five days. Do you see any patterns in what God has been saying to you or asking you to do? Pray over your answers to each day’s application step and use your notes to create a commitment statement.
Make your statement as practical and tangible as possible. We recommend starting with “I will” and giving it a timeframe. For example, your statement could be “I will spend ten minutes in prayer every morning before looking at social media next week,” or “I will invite a friend to read the Bible with me by next Friday.”
Write down your commitment statement and share it with someone like a friend, family member, or your small group, and ask them to hold you accountable to it.