40 Days of Psalms
A prayer plan to prepare you for the empty tomb
This post includes a pdf guide to download. It will walk you through praying one psalm per day until Easter. I hope you enjoy reading some of the background on why I chose to do this, but if you’d rather just grab the guide and start praying, that’s fine too.
The (Forgotten) Empty Tomb
I might have completely overlooked Easter one year if someone hadn’t given me a chocolate bunny. That was almost twenty years ago, and I wasn’t yet a Christian. Fresh out of college, I was teaching English in Taiwan. Maybe my mind was occupied with planning adventures in the island’s spectacular mountains. Living in a food paradise, maybe I couldn’t stop thinking about my next meal. Or was I just so caught up in the amazing day-to-day hospitality of the people that I failed to look ahead?
A more likely explanation for my forgetfulness was the fact that I rarely thought about Jesus back then. And when he did come to mind, he was little more than an object of curiosity. Throw in the fact that only around 1-in-20 people in Taiwan are Christians, and you can imagine why Resurrection Sunday slipped my mind.
But even back then, global media and marketing offered the world glimpses of Western ways. Thus, a Taiwanese friend assumed that a chocolate bunny with red eyes—even sweets turn out quirky in translation—would help an American wanderer feel a little more at home. I think she was taken aback when I blurted out something like, “Thanks, oh yeah, I forgot it was almost Easter!”
What is Lent?
Of course, it’s one thing for a twenty-something unbeliever to be caught off guard by the arrival of Christianity’s defining holiday. But how many believers active in their faith have done nearly the same? I don’t think I’ve ever again come so close to completely forgetting Easter, but it still sneaks up on me sometimes.
This is one of the reasons I’ve finally come to appreciate Ash Wednesday. And why I now try to be intentional with the forty days leading up to Easter, often known as Lent. I grew up in a Christian tradition that emphasizes this season of preparation, but didn’t pay much attention to it then. Starting in my late 20’s, I spent nearly a decade in an evangelical church that ignored the practice, and I continued to mostly overlook it. But today I find the idea of walking with Jesus during his forty days in the wilderness compelling (Luke 4:1-2). I can’t see any downside to purposefully preparing for Easter.
Since Lent may still be unfamiliar to some, here’s a quick rundown: the Old English term “lencten,” which became our modern word, simply meant “spring season” and originally had no religious association. Early church practices leading up to Easter varied, with some including shorter or longer fasts. A forty-day period of preparation was acknowledged by the First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. Given that the council recognized it, the practice was likely widespread by this time.
Today, Christian traditions vary in their practices for Lent. Catholics generally fast according to a calendar, as do the Orthodox. Protestant traditions vary widely, if the season is acknowledged at all. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether you want to give something up during these next forty days. But I will encourage you to add something: daily prayer with a psalm. Regardless of your view of Lent, prayer is always beneficial.
The Prayer Plan
If you’re not familiar with praying Scripture or psalms, I’d suggest starting here. Once you get the basic idea, the best way to learn more is by just diving in and trying this kind of prayer. As you continue and questions come up, you might also look at the related posts I’ve written here, here, here, and here.
A few thoughts before you start with the 40-day plan:
If your local church has prayers or practices for the Easter season, please prioritize those.
This is based on a plan in Donald Whitney’s book Praying the Bible, modified to fit a 40-day timeframe.
The goal is to pray through one psalm each day. On most days, you’ll find several psalms listed. The idea is that you’ll skim through each and choose the one that resonates with you most. Then, you’ll pray through that one.
Don’t pass over a psalm that speaks to you just because it’s long. It’s okay to pray only part of it. Quality and consistency are the aims here, not quantity.
Sundays are open for returning to psalms you particularly enjoyed or catching up if you missed some days.
In case you didn’t download the plan up top, here it is again:
Start Right Now
The best way to form a habit is by starting right now! Here’s Psalm 1, with sample prayers following each verse:
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
Lord, help me to notice the sinful influences in my life. Help me to turn away from them.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law his meditates day and night.
Father, sometimes I do find delight in your Word. But sometimes reading it feels like a chore. Help me to discover the joy you want me to find in your Word.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Lord, help me to grow in faith. I want to prosper in every way that honors you.
Not so the wicked!
They are like the chaff that the wind blows away.
God Almighty, thank you for your grace. Thank you for your Son, Jesus, who died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin and wickedness. Thank you that he rose from the grave in victory over sin and death.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
Father God, please have mercy on ________ (pray for the salvation of someone you know who isn’t following Jesus).
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Lord, help me to remember that everlasting life is found only in you. And that everything this world offers will come to an end someday.
Thank you so much for reading (and praying). If you’ve made it this far, you might as well leave a comment! Have a blessed Easter season!
Thank you for sharing this; I passed it along to several brothers and sisters!
I’ve started praying a psalm a day after you wrote about it a while ago. I also listened to David’s book. I find it a lovely way to start the day and not something I would have thought of. So thank you!