Hi my loves,
This week I’d like to get into psalm writing. A fun fact about me is that I love to write. If you couldn’t tell before, well sis, now you know. I was encouraged to journal by my mom and sisters at a young age and just grew to love it. One of my favorite writers is David. I honestly look forward to the day when we can exchange psalms together. I think it’s a beautiful thing that one of my favorite writers is one of the most powerful men in the Bible. You know by now that I am all for women’s empowerment, but Queens in Spring is not just about encouraging women to live in who they are in Christ. As women in Christ, we know that Acts 10:34 says that God is no respector of persons, which inevitably means that we have no right to be. David had the type of relationship with God that people only aspire to have — but he also understood something about the Lord that we often miss. God wants to know us even more than we seek to know Him. Yes, obviously He knows His children, but it’s a different thing for a child to come to their Father and bear their hearts. God wants complete vulnerability and surrender from everyone so that we can reach the next level of relationship with Him. So I applaud David, and every man who is trying their best to surpass the worldly understanding of “strength” and truly allow themselves to be weak in the face of the Lord.
Consistently journaling and writing to God is definitely a spiritual discipline because it requires faith in many ways. There are days when I just don’t want to because I don’t feel it. “It” being a connection or motivation. In this season of my life, I’m learning that it’s in the moments when I feel the least connected to God that I have to lean in because it’s also in these moments that I’m actually growing even closer to God.
Will you talk to God even if you can’t “feel” His presence? Does that mean He’s not there?
Your feelings can dictate a certain reality, but not always the truth — God’s truth
Recently, in Bible study I was asked to lead psalm writing. At first this sounded extremely intuitive and like a simple task. It’s one thing to be able to do it, but it’s another thing to be able to teach someone else how to. In the end, I was able to learn a lot myself, and be more intentional about my time with God in writing by approaching it differently.
I would encourage you to read Psalms 42 in your free time. I used this psalm to aid me in teaching others how to write a psalm by breaking it up into 4 sections — Acknowledgment + Lament, Confession, Request + Resolution. This is by no means the only way to write a psalm, but it definitely helped me. I’m more of a “lead by example” type of person, so I’ll break apart a psalm that I wrote for teaching purposes and briefly explain the process that I took.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT + LAMENT
[ This is where you bear your soul to the Lord. Talk to Him. Tell Him why you’re upset or feeling the way that you are. People stray from this because they fear disrespecting God. But, don’t you think He already knows? He wants you to be honest with both yourself and Him because healthy relationships require vulnerability and honesty. If you cry out to the Lord and tell Him where you are, He will match your energy and tell you where He is. Try it, it’ll feel weird at first, but keep going. Just know that He cares about your feelings. The next step is confession but note that God is not the type of father that is insecure. This is why this stage is often first. Yes, He requires your praise, but He doesn’t need it. He is God. He wants you to know, as His child, that the way you feel is valued. ]
God, you are my father. Yes
My protector. Yes
My King. Yes
My friend? Questionable.
What happened to us? You promised me the spot of your Bride. Your one and only. But why do I feel like you reneged. You took it back, got tired. You promised me this wouldn’t shake my foundation, yet I feel like the foundation, the magic carpet has been ripped from beneath my feet. The very feet you promised to wash.
Forgive me, I know this is not how a servant talks to their master. That’s what I am, right?
What’s frustrating is these are not even my words Pops. Coming out of my mouth, sure…but you know me. I know me. I know you, I think. I can’ see you amongst the haze. It’s hard to tell truth from reality these days. Is it even you?
CONFESSION
[ Different than acknowledgement because it’s not just saying how you feel, it’s confessing true things about God in light of how you feel. What’s the lie you’re believing and what’s the truth — an act of faith ]
A love greater than none other
The jealousy the enemy must have. Looking at me reminds him of something he once had. Something he will never have. Something he lost. A relationship.
Enemy steals glances and seeks to destroy my soul
Nonetheless, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord
My soul shall be joyful in my God. For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.
The most precious gift I could have ever been given
The most priceless token of love
The blood of the lamb
None could ever. None would ever.
But one
My friend. Best friend.
REQUEST
[ What is the thing you want God to do for you? If God was standing in front of you right now and asked you what you wanted, what would you say? What would that look like for you?]
I want to be with you
To understand and abide in you
I want to be me
The person you called me to be
I want to live as a dove, free to float wherever. Nothing but the wind beneath my wings and your love keeping me free
Help me to remember
Remember who I am. To get to know her really. And to love her. She is not an imposter. She is me
RESOLUTION
[ How will you respond? Be about it. ]
From this point on, I will stand proudly in your name
Not in the shadows
Nor in pain
Front and center.
Bold and humbly proclaiming the power of a name.
Jesus.
Jesus.
Jesus.
When you created me, took me as your own. You gave me a promise.
A promise to never live in fear, or claim it as my own
My tears may fall but the crown never slips
You see me, you hear me, and you love me
I pray this was helpful and that you’ll try to write your own psalm one day.
Enjoy this beautiful season
With love,
Chantel Moné ♡
