P R AY I N G

THE

ALPHABET
THE PSALM 119
A P P R O A C H T O P R AY E R

JOHN KRAMP
Praying the Alphabet: The Psalm 119 Approach to Prayer

Copyright © 2014 by John Kramp

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
permission except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews. For more information, send a request by email
to john@psalm119experience.com.

2
 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

A-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

B-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

C-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

D-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

E-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

F-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

G-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

H-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

I-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

J-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

K-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

L-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

M-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

N-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

O-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

P-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Q-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

R-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

S-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

T-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

U-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

V-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

W-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

X-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Y-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Z-Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

3
 INTRODUCTION

Do you struggle with prayer?

I do. Always have. Still do.

But a few years ago, I began a spiritual journey that has changed me. That’s what I want to tell
you about.

WILLIAM WILBERFORCE’S JOURNAL

We associate Wilberforce with the abolition of the Slave Trade in the British Empire in the 19th
century. But in 1819, he made an intriguing entry in his journal.

“Walked from Hyde Park Corner repeating the 119th Psalm in great comfort.”

I knew a bit about Wilberforce’s conversion to Christ and how his faith fueled his political efforts
against the slave trade. I was surprised, however, to discover that he had memorized Psalm 119 –
the longest chapter in the Bible with 176 verses. Yet Williams Wilberforce knew that psalm so
well that he could quote it on a long walk. Amazing.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH PSALM 119

That journal entry propelled me into a multi-year, spiritual adventure with Psalm 119 that resulted
in my taking the 22 sections of this psalm, writing songs using all the words, and then having
those song recorded by world-class studio vocalists and instrumentalists in Nashville, Tennessee,
where I live. Then I wrote a devotional book to guide people through their own experience with
Psalm 119. I called it, The Psalm 119 Experience: The Devotional Journey You Will Not Forget.

By the way, if you’re interested, you can find out more about the book and the songs at the end
of this book.

One of the completely unexpected benefits of spending so much time with this unique chapter
of the Bible is that I discovered that Psalm 119 is a collection of 22 prayers. Not just everyday
prayers but structured prayers, prayers to be remembered.

The writer of Psalm 119 structured it in a special way.

• 22 sections for each of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet

• 8 lines in each of the 22 sections
• Each of the eight lines in each section beginning with a word that starts with the specific
letter of the alphabet

4
This sounds confusing, I know. But think of it this way. If the writer of Psalm 119 had written in
English with the modern English alphabet, the structure would have been different.

First, the psalm would have 26 sections, one for each of the 26 letters in the English alphabet.

Each of the 26 sections would still have had eight lines.

In section 1, there would be eight lines in which the first word in each line would begin with an
“A” word.

In Section 2, there would be eights lights in which the first word in each line would begin with a
“B” word.

In this way, the process would continue until Section 26 in which there would be eight lines in
which the first word in each line would begin with a “Z” word.

MY UNEXPECTED EXPERIMENT

Once I understood the structure the original writer of Psalm 119 had used and recognized that
each of the 22 sections of the psalm were standalone prayers, I wondered what would happen if
I used this same approach to stretch my spiritual vocabulary and pray more appropriately.

I remembered Jesus’ admonition to His disciples when He was teaching them (and us) how
to pray.
7
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for
they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them,
for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:7-8) (ESV)

This verse has always challenged and bothered me. Too often, my prayers seem to me like heaps
of empty phrases, like cantaloupes stacked in mounds at the grocery store.

Could I use the Psalm 119 approach to prayer to stretch my personal prayer muscles?

It was worth a try.

T H E R E A L LY S I M P L E P R O C E S S

I got a small, 3-ringed notebook in which I put 26 tabs, each with a letter of the alphabet. Then I
found a dictionary and began with letter “A” and picked out a supply of “A” words that I could
use to write eight lines of prayer with each line beginning with an “A” word. Then in my personal
devotional time, I would review the words then try to write one eight-line prayer using the “A”
words. I wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I had no plan to share this idea with anyone else. The
only thing I knew was that I needed help in my praying.

Frankly, I don’t remember how many months I spent on this process but I suspect it lasted a year
or more. There was no reason to hurry. I didn’t write prayers every day but I used the process reg-
ularly until I had several prayers written in my notebook for each of the 26 letters of the alphabet.

5
A SIMPLE GIFT TO SHARE WITH OTHERS

Will other people want to use the Psalm 119 approach to prayer as I have done? I really have no
idea. But since I’m giving this guide away, I know that everyone who read this will get his or her
money’s worth!

So here’s what I have for you.

In the pages that follow, I’ve included two prayers for each letter of the alphabet. Are my prayers
great prayers? No. In fact, I feel a bit awkward sharing them with you at all. It feels like I’m hand-
ing you my journal to read. In spite of all that, I’m sharing what I’ve written with you not to tell
you how you should pray but to give you some samples of how you could pray.

After the two sample prayers for each letter of alphabet, I’ve given you a small “starter pack”
of words that begin with that letter in the alphabet. Don’t feel that you need to limit yourself to
these words. I provide them only to save you time. In fact, I encourage you to get a dictionary
and create your own list of words for each letter of the alphabet. I found the process entertaining
and I chose some unusual words for my list as a challenge to see if I could use those words in a
real prayer.

THE NEXT STEPS FROM HERE

That’s really all there is to this. The secret is not what I have done but what you will do. Spend a
little bit of time reviewing what I have done to see if the process intrigues you. If so, you can use
the two blocks I’ve included for each letter to write your own prayers.

Don’t feel that you need to write out the prayers and then read them aloud. You could if you
wanted to do so. I didn’t. I believe that God “heard” my words as I wrote and I believe He en-
joyed the process along with me. In fact, I like to think that He was relieved to hear me talk to
Him with an expanded vocabulary.

Prayer remains intimate conversation between God and us. That conversation can be formal or
informal. The content will vary from person to person. The prayers you write will reflect your the-
ology as mine do. Yours will differ from mine. That’s fine, too.

I hope you enjoy the process as much as I did. In the end, the goal of prayer is not to write
prayers. The goal of prayer is to talk with God, intimately and personally. If praying the alphabet
with the Psalm 119 approach helps you as it did me, I will be delighted.

I’d love to hear about your experience.

John Kramp
Brentwood, Tennessee, USA
www.psalm119experience.com

6
CHAPTER
ONE

THE
A
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 1

SAMPLE
A - P R AY E R S

Another day and another season of prayer has come.

According to Your loving kindness, help me pray one
authentic sentence fully focused on You and
attuned completely to this privileged conversation.
Alter my proclivity to self-absorption with an
absolute focus on You. I confess my meager
awareness of You as I wallow in self-awareness. I
admit my sin of a self-marred life. Give me a Christ-marked life.

Accountability for the tasks given me weigh me down.

Accomplish Your good purposes through me.
Arrange the order of failure and success for Your glory.
Astonish me and my co-workers with Your timing, and
amaze us once again with Your tender mercy.
All of us are tired. We have worked hard. How I
ask for a harvest – not as reward but for encouragement.
Answer our prayers in Your wisdom and proportion.

8
 Y O U R A - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

ADORE AFFIRM ACCEPT ACCOUNT

AUTHORITY ACCORDING AMAZING ASTONISH

ASCRIBE ATTUNE ACKNOWLEDGE ASTOUND

ACCOMPLISH ALLELUIA ANXIOUS ATTENTION

Y O U R P E R S O N A L A - P R AY E R S

9
CHAPTER
TWO

THE
B
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 2

SAMPLE
B - P R AY E R S

Beholding You as revealed in Your Word

brings wonder and fear. How can I relate to You,
broken as I am? I ache as I bow before You.
Blessed privilege, this invitation into Your presence,
becoming like Christ through Your work in me,
breaking through, buying back the dark places,
beguiled by sin no more. Now, dazzled by You, I
beam a faith reflection of Your infinite glory.

Battles rage in me on every side, behind and

before me, side to side, above and below, yet You
bestow on me grace upon grace, sufficient, full.
Bearing my sin, You battled and broke my enemy.
Blazing holiness, You paid sin’s toll once for all,
bringing me through the cross to right-standing with You.
Blessed privilege. Incalculable cost. Given in grace.
Bearing my sin, You took my death and gave me Your life.

11
 Y O U R B - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

BEHOLD BLESS BREAK BESTOW

BENEFIT BATTLE BECKON BEGINNING

BEAR BRIGHT BELOW BARGAIN

BARRAGE BEWARE BECOMING BLAST

Y O U R P E R S O N A L B - P R AY E R S

12
CHAPTER
THREE

THE
C
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 3

SAMPLE
C - P R AY E R S

Confer on me today the message of grace I need.

Cleanse me from alienating sins that prevent
contentment in my relationship with You.
Crass things pass away as You work in me,
completing the good work You began in Christ, and
confirming Your seal on my life through the Holy Spirit.
Carelessly, I’ve lived too often, wandering, slipping.
Consolidate my broken and scattered heart in Christ.

Color each moment of my day with obedience.

Confer on me a heart to want and a will that
can please You. How clearly now I see the
contrast between Your Kingdom of Light and the
contemptuous Kingdom of Darkness. Free me from
concerns for this world that dull my sense of You.
Compared to all the world offers, Christ is all,
crowned as Lord, commanding all, including my soul.

14
 Y O U R C - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

CONFESS CROWN CONFIRM COMPARE

CONTEND COMMAND CONVINCE CARELESS

CONCERN CONDEMN CONFLICT CONTAIN

CONTEMPT CONTEMPLATE CARE CONCERN

Y O U R P E R S O N A L C - P R AY E R S

15
CHAPTER
FOUR

THE
D
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 4

SAMPLE
D - P R AY E R S

Delight, my soul, in the Lord. Praise Him.

Deepen my faith so Your words lift my spirit,
drawing me close to You. Mighty God, You
declared my right-standing with You in Christ.
Death died on the cross as the just
demands of holiness were met. No longer
duped by Satan, I was set free to be Your
Disciple. Your decrees as my Lord are now my joy.

Disable that part of me that enjoys sin.

Destroy the perplexing allure sin wields, that
defrauding, lying force that dulls me,
distracts me and distances my heart from You.
Defeat on the battlefield of my soul that enemy You
defeated ultimately on the cross. Let sin not rally.
Deny sin the ground to fight again in me as I
declare sin defeated today as you confirmed sin’s
death at Calvary.

17
 Y O U R D - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

DELIVER DELIGHT DEFEND DISTRAUGHT

DEVOTE DEMAND DEVELOP DEFEND

DIMINISH DUTY DULL DISTRACT

DEEPEN DECLARE DENY DUPED

Y O U R P E R S O N A L D - P R AY E R S

18
CHAPTER
FIVE

THE
E
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 5

SAMPLE
E - P R AY E R S

Examine me, O God, and show me

every bent of my heart that grieves You.
Engulf me with a view of Your holiness and
eliminate the unsanctified fortresses of my heart.
Exalt Yourself through my life as I
exclaim my love and longing for You.
Eternity resides in my heart as I live so
engross my affections with those things that last.

Energize me this day with the Holy Spirit’s power.

Every time I content myself with
everything I have to this point, drive me to
experience more of You. Give me grace to
erase all preconceived notions of the Spirit’s
effectual work in me and replace it with an
Expanded understanding of the gracious
endowment of Your life in me.

20
 Y O U R E - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

EXALT EXHORT EXAMINE ENVY

ENTIRE ETERNAL EXCLAIM EXCITED

EXTEND ERROR ENGULF ENEMY

ELEGANT ELIMINATE ELEVATE EXCLAIM

Y O U R P E R S O N A L E - P R AY E R S

21
CHAPTER
SIX

THE
F
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 6

SAMPLE
F - P R AY E R S

Focus my mind, Lord, on Your promises,

freeing my heart to rest and not fear.
Friend of the weak, steady me now with
fortifying faith, Your initial and ongoing gift.
Foundation of my life, let me live for Your
fame, Your renown. May I stand
firm, unmovable in Christ, walking, not
fainting as I complete this earthy pilgrimage.

Following You is my privilege, renouncing the

former things with the expulsive power that
flows from a new affection. You are the
frontier of my life, O God, the path my
feet will walk today. Let me not
faint as I go the distance this fierce
fight requires. Fountain of my soul, spring
forth in me until I stand at the finish with You.

23
 Y O U R F - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

FOLLOW FATHOM FAINT FORBID

FRAIL FADE FASCINATE FUNCTION

FEEL FIGHT FAKE FOCUS

FORBID FREE FRUSTRATE FURY

Y O U R P E R S O N A L F - P R AY E R S

24
CHAPTER
SEVEN

THE
G
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 7

SAMPLE
G - P R AY E R S
Gracious God of salvation, how can I
grasp what You accomplished in Christ. Your
gospel speaks love and hope to my heart,
generating an unending desire to praise you.
Give me richer words to express my progressive
grasp of your work in Christ. My soul
glorifies You, mighty God. My trembling but
grateful heart longs to speak my love for You.

Grandeur and majesty, infinite holiness,

goodness and mercy draw me to You,
groaning with the magnitude of my sin yet
gaining Christ’s perfect work on the cross.
Grip me with strong hands, O God. Place the
goal of transformation in Christ as the
growing passion within me. Your wonderful
gift began this good work. Now complete it in Christ.

26
 Y O U R G - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

GAIN GALVANIZE GRASP GATHER

GAZE GENERATE GESTURE GRIMACE

GIRD GLANCE GUIDE GLORIFY

GOVERN GRAPPLE GRIEVE GUARANTEE

Y O U R P E R S O N A L G - P R AY E R S

27
CHAPTER
EIGHT

THE
H
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 8

SAMPLE
H - P R AY E R S

Hallowed be Your name, mighty God, who gives

hope to the helpless by opening deaf ears to
hear gospel truth. Let not Satan and sin
hamper my sanctification. Instead, build a
hedge of protection around me in which I can
hide in the storm. Yet, let me not stay there, Lord,
hoarding spiritual treasure. Empower me to
help others find the door of faith, the way of Christ.

Holiness is required to stand before You, a

humiliating standard for one like me, given to
hubris, dogged by pride. But You broke my
heart and bent my will. You showed me the
horror of hell and the infinite joy of
heaven – eternity with You. I can
hardly find words to respond. I who was once
hard-hearted am now a homesick child of God.

29
 Y O U R H - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

HABIT HALLMARK HALLOWED HAMPER

HARM HAUGHTY HEART HEAVY

HEED HEIGHT HELPLESS HINDER

HOLINESS HONOR HOPE HYMN

Y O U R P E R S O N A L H - P R AY E R S

30
CHAPTER
NINE

THE
I
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 9

SAMPLE
I - P R AY E R S
Incite in me, O God, a hatred of sin coupled with
increasing dissatisfaction with my state of sanctification.
Identify, through Your Spirit, Satan’s strongholds that
insulate me from Your fullest work in and through me.
Incline my mind, will, and emotions to do Your will.
Instruct me in Your ways as well as Your Word.
Incise from my life all tepid spiritual responses and
infuse me with potent, Jesus-raising power.

Immortal, invisible God, allow me to experience You,

imperfect through I am. In Christ, I stand as
if I had never sinned, justified. You tipped the
imbalance and paid my debt of sin with the
incalculable merit of Christ. With an
impetus to worship, this great gospel work,
imputed righteousness to former rebels now
included in Your Kingdom as friends. Impossible. True.

32
 Y O U R I - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

IDEAL IDENTIFICATION IGNITE ILLUMINATE

IMAGE IMMATURE IMMEASURABLE IMPART

IMPEDE IMPLEMENT INITIATE IMPORTANT

IMPULSIVE INACTIVE INANE INCALCULABLE

Y O U R P E R S O N A L I - P R AY E R S

33
CHAPTER
TEN

THE
J
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 10

SAMPLE
J - P R AY E R S
Joy is mine because of Christ. He
joined mankind on earth for this
journey, this sojourn of faith. At each juncture
Jesus watched to see what You were doing then
joined You in that work. His great work
justified me. He bore my punishment to uphold
justice in the universe. Before You, the righteous
Judge and jury, Jesus pled my case and I was acquitted.

Jesus, my Lord, I bow today. Great, eternal

jewel, my hidden treasure, my pearl of great price,
jump-start my discipleship. Rip off my old
jacket of spiritual expectations and habits. When others
jeer at me, focus my eyes on You, alone.
Jolt my spiritual life with fresh power. The
junction awaits. Fuel me to turn on the path that pleases You.

35
 Y O U R J - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

JABBED JAIL JAUNTY JAZZ

JEALOUS JEER JEOPARDIZE JEST

JOIN JOY JUDGE JURY

JUST JUDICIAL JOIN JOLT

Y O U R P E R S O N A L J - P R AY E R S

36
CHAPTER
ELEVEN

THE
K
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 11

SAMPLE
K - P R AY E R S
King of heaven and King of my heart, I
kneel before You. In Your grace You save me and
keep me in faith. In my ignorance, You made
known the wisdom of Your Word. You have
kissed me in greeting through the gospel, I the
know-it-all, bent on independence from You. Your
knowledge is limitless, Your mercy free-flowing,
knocking down the idols of my heart until only You stand.

Kill self-interest and independence in me and

keep me constrained by love. Before standing,
kneeling. Before advancement, humbling.
Kingdom first, all else later. A
kernel sown, a harvest to come. Eternity before
keepsakes, trading everything now to
know Christ and the power of His resurrection, crowned
King of all thrones and Master of my heart.

38
 Y O U R K - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

KALEIDOSCOPE KEEN KEEPING KEY

KIND KING KNEEL KNEW

KNOCK KNOW KIND-HEARTED KNIT

KNOCKOUT KNIFE KNOW-HOW KNOWLEDGE

Y O U R P E R S O N A L K - P R AY E R S

39
CHAPTER
T W E LV E

THE
L
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 12

SAMPLE
L - P R AY E R S
Listen, loving Father, to my faltering words. I
lack the language to worship the
Lamb of God appropriately. Forgive my spiritual
laziness in prayer, the personal
leftovers I give You – thoughts, words, time.
Lift me up again in Your strength that I will not
lapse again into compromise or deadening
lethargy in discipleship. I want to follow Jesus.

Legally, I had no hope, no way to stand

legitimately before You. I was a rebel,
lost and satisfied until You confronted me,
lighting my mind and heart with gospel truth.
Let me now live out the implications of the
life You have granted me in Christ. The
Law that condemned me is now satisfied on the cross so
liberate me from the sin that dogs me.

41
 Y O U R L - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

LABOR LACK LAG LAMENT

LAPSED LAUGH LEGISLATE LIBERATE

LIE LIFT LIST LIVE

LOCATE LOOP LOSE LOVE

Y O U R P E R S O N A L L - P R AY E R S

42
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN

THE
M
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 13

SAMPLE
M - P R AY E R S
Majestic God of the universe, enthroned, timeless,
Maker of all, my Redeemer, my God, my Friend.
Move through me to conquer sin’s
multiplying impulse. Unleash in my life spiritual
momentum that accelerates Christ-likeness and
minimizes self-likeness. Capture my thoughts; set my
mind on You, on the glory of the gospel and the
miracle of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Master of creation who holds and

maintains everything in Your hand. Your
magnificence stuns me as I see my sin – a
maligning, arrogant affront to Your righteous rule.
Meekly I come to You because You call me, a
ministry of the Spirit’s faithfulness. May His voice
monopolize my attention and drown out the
malcontent voices that compete for my soul’s peace.

44
 Y O U R M - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

MYSTERIOUS MERCY MAJESTIC MIGHTY

MOBILIZE MULTIPLY MEDIATE MAGNIFICENT

MAINTAIN MAJESTIC MANDATE MANEUVER

MANIPULATE MALICIOUS MALFUNCTION MALIGN

Y O U R P E R S O N A L M – P R AY E R S

45
 CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

THE
N
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 14

SAMPLE
N - P R AY E R S
Now, my soul, turn to the Lord. Do not
neglect the grace He provides generously
nor forget His faithfulness. Father, You have
never forsaken me. In each season,
new evidence of Your attentive care
nurtures me. In my despair, only You are
necessary for me to stand in hope.
Nothing matters to me more than You.

Nothing could prepare me fully for this

next step of discipleship, this adventure, this
new opportunity to follow Jesus. Out of the
nest, uncertain, vulnerable, pushed out
nonetheless. Free-falling, faltering flight,
navigating with eyes closed, sensing You
noiselessly hovering above, then below, always
near, bearing me upward on eagles’ wings.

47
 Y O U R N - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

NAIL NAME NAUGHT NEAR

NECESSARY NAVIGATE NEGLECT NEMESIS

NEUTRALIZE NEVER NEW NEXT

NOBODY NONSENSE NOURISHMENT NURTURE

Y O U R P E R S O N A L N - P R AY E R S

48
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN

THE
O
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 15

SAMPLE
O - P R AY E R S
Old things have gone but remnants remain,
outrageous affronts to grace and Christ’s
outworking in my life. Powerfully
overwhelm sin’s shadow with blazing light,
oscillating, pulsating and eradicating what
once defined me. Truly, the new now
occupies my soul, rendering sin’s power
obsolete, ultimately impotent, cross-defeated.

Only because You worked first in me, You now

occupy my life. You organized the search, seeking me with
obstinate love. Lost in all that was
off-limits to holiness, I heard Your
overwhelming call. Tired, dirty, defeated and
offensive to all but You, my weak
outcry for help met Your inexplicable desire to rescue,
outstanding outcome that defies all expectation.

50
 Y O U R O - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

OATH OBEDIENCE OBLITERATE OBSCURE

OCCUPY OFFEND OFFER ONCE

OSTRACIZE OUST OUTCAST OUTCRY

OUTRAGE OUTWARD OUTWIT OVERWHELM

Y O U R P E R S O N A L O - P R AY E R S

51
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN

THE
P
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 16

SAMPLE
P - P R AY E R S
Peculiar plan, Your gospel, O God,
paying sin’s price to satisfy justice and
provide grace. How can it be? The Son
pierced while my sin cackled contemptuously.
Prince of Heaven, my substitute, Your blood,
potent with life, the ultimate
propitiation set aside righteous wrath.
Promises made in eternity past are now paid in full.

Phrases in Your Word prompt praise to

pour forth from a thankful heart. May I
pray appropriate prayers, Your Word
proceeding my words, Your truth the
precedent for all I say to You.
Potent, pure Word of God, flow through me,
projecting what You prefer to hear, no
puddles of inane words, only an ocean of true prayer.

53
 Y O U R P - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

PAID PAIN PALTRY PARABLE

PARADOX PARDON PARTICIPATE PASSION

PATIENT PAYMENT PENETRATE PERFECT

PERHAPS PERISH PERSIST PERSEVERE

Y O U R P E R S O N A L P - P R AY E R S

54
 CHAPTER
SE VENTEEN

THE
Q
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 17

SAMPLE
Q - P R AY E R S
Quiet my heart, O God. Allow Your presence to
quicken my spirit so I will not
quench the Holy Spirit’s work in me.
Quitting is not an option so empower
quality discipleship in me, exhibiting Christ,
quashing sin. Having begun this race of faith,
qualify me for a finisher’s prize, standing in
queue with all who have gone before to finish well.

Quagmires of anxious thoughts breed

questions and fears, distracting, immobilizing.
Quivering in confusion, I stop, waiting,
quizzing in prayer to find direction, answers.
Quoting scriptures, promises, seeking anything to
quantify faith with divine facts. Give me
quarter in Your presence until faith
quadruples and quintuples as I rely on You.

56
 Y O U R Q - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

QUAGMIRE QUALIFIED QUARANTINE QUASH

QUENCH QUESTION QUICK QUIET

QUILL QUINTUPLE QUIRK QUIT

QUIVER QUIZ QUOTIENT QUOTE

Y O U R P E R S O N A L Q - P R AY E R S

57
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN

THE
R
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 18

SAMPLE
R - P R AY E R S
Remember me, Sovereign Lord, for my intentions,
recording my halting steps forward
rather than my stumbling. From my way,
remove obstacles, if appropriate, while
resourcing sanctification. When I veer,
return me to Your path, graciously
reversing my errors quickly before my
ruin hurts those I love, especially You.

Righteous Lord of the Universe, I

relinquish control of my life.
Rule over me. I submit to You
readily because the alternative brings
reproach and regret. No more for me. I
renounce my rebel ways and rebellious heart.
Resting now in Your peace, please
revive me with spiritual energy to run for You.

59
 Y O U R R - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

RACE RADIANT RAISE RANSOM

REACH REALIZE RECORD RECTIFY

REFUGE REGENERATE REGRET REINFORCE

REFLECT RELEASE RELIEVE REMIND

Y O U R P E R S O N A L R – P R AY E R S

60
CHAPTER
NINETEEN

THE
S
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 19

SAMPLE
S - P R AY E R S
Seas of separation break my heart, Lord,
swallowing me in grief. My days doze in
sleep, my nights in fitful wakefulness. Death
shocked me, not by surprise but with
searing pain. So I grieve, sometimes in
silence, other times with cries. Yet through all,
still I hope. The grave cannot hold. You
split it wide open. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Silent prayers, struggling for

spoken words. Groan for me, Holy
Spirit, in my weakness. Create
sounds for my questions and pain, words
specific for this moment. Your Word,
sweet in my mouth, satisfying my heart,
spilling out in a torrent of praise,
sublime communication; silence broken.

62
 Y O U R S - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

SABBATH SABOTAGE SEEK SAFEKEEPING

SALVAGE SANCTIFY SAVIOR SCANDAL

SCORN SCULPT SEARCH SECURITY

SEIZE SELF-RELIANT SENSITIVE SEPARATE

Y O U R P E R S O N A L S - P R AY E R S

63
CHAPTER
TWENTY

THE
T
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 20

SAMPLE
T- P R A Y E R S
Transitions unsettle me, Lord, but
teach me to reply only on You,
trusting Your good plans for me.
Tension remains but Your
tools of grace remain sufficient.
Time in Your Word and prayer
transform weakness into strength,
theology into living.

Timeless God, Creator of time,

teach me to steward my days,
toiling with an eternal perspective.
Through the tasks You have set before me
today, teach me the importance of
temporal work. Protect me from a
treadmill life – active, driven, but
tragically lacking spiritual balance.

65
 Y O U R T- P R A Y E R S T A R T E R P A C K

TACKLE TOIL TAKE TANTALIZE

TARGET TASK TAWDRY TEDIOUS

TEMPER TENDENCY TEPID TERRIFY

THOUGHT THRUST TOPPLE TOUCH

Y O U R P E R S O N A L T- P R A Y E R S

66
CHAPTER
TWENTY
ONE

THE
U
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 21

SAMPLE
U - P R AY E R S
Unconditional love – Your gracious gift,
unique beyond measure, Your mercy to
unholy people like me defies all
understanding. Through the gospel, You
unveiled the way, access to
unending fellowship with You. Never
unaware of our weakness, You make the
ultimate provision, Your Holy Spirit living in us.

Unlimited potential for change in Christ,

unafraid because of faith: steady, strong,
unshaken. Unimaginable potential in the Kingdom,
uncharted adventure. Becoming who I am in the Son,
unbecoming who I was enslaved to sin.
Unbelief swallowed up as You help me believe
under the instruction of Your Word,
unbroken sentences of truth from You to my heart.

68
 Y O U R U - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

ULTIMATE UNABLE UNACCEPTABLE UNBLEMISHED

UNCLEAN UNDISCIPLINED UNPREDICTABLE UNSEEN

UNSPOKEN UNWAVERING UNBELIEF UNCERTAIN

UNCONDITIONAL UNDECIDED UNDERMINE URGENT

Y O U R P E R S O N A L U - P R AY E R S

69
CHAPTER
TWENTY
TWO

THE
V
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 22

SAMPLE
V- P R AY E R S
Visible Son of God, on earth, You lived
vigorously, showing us the Father.
Vigilant against sin, You won – no mere
veneer of purity but absolute perfection.
Vision of the Father, You came to a
vile world, corrupted by sin and
vandalized by Satan’s schemes. Yet, You,
virtuous Savior, defeated sin and opened a gospel door.

Vanity in my heart sickens me. I see the

vainglory of others, the strutting, the
vociferous flow of words and I cringe.
Viewing their folly makes me see my own, the
vulgarity of my sin, my lack of sanctification, the
void of discipleship that should be closed. My
ventures in godliness have been timid. O God,
vanquish pride in my life so I may love You in humility.

71
 Y O U R V- P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

VAGABOND VAINGLORY VALIANT VALUABLE

VANISH VAPOR VENEER VENTURE

VIGILANT VIGOR VINDICATE VIRTUOUS

VISION VITAL VOID VULNERABLE

Y O U R P E R S O N A L V- P R AY E R S
V

72
CHAPTER
TWENTY
THREE

THE
W
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 23

SAMPLE
W - P R AY E R S
Why, O God, have You welcomed me
when I have sinned so grievously?
Within the grand work of Christ, You have said,
“Whosoever will.” You opened my eyes to see the
way of salvation. Because of sin I deserved the
wage of death, but when I turned, You were
waiting to embrace me, a prodigal, tainted,
weary. You welcomed me to an impossible home.

Written Word of God, great treasure and

worth great sacrifice. Great paradox, I am prone to
wander. Bind me securely in the only truth
which sets people free. You are
weaning me off of the world’s pabulum with its
withering impact. Now I’m eating spiritual meat and
walking in strength, a disciple in-process, Your
workmanship, created for Spirit-powered works.

74
 Y O U R W - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

WAGE WAIT WALK WANDER

WARN WATCH WAVER WAYS

WEAKNESS WEALTH WELCOME WHILE

WHISPER WHITEWASH WHOSOEVER WICKED

Y O U R P E R S O N A L W - P R AY E R S

75
CHAPTER
TWENTY
FOUR

THE
X
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 24

SAMPLE
X - P R AY E R S
X-ray my life, O God, and
exert Your Spirit’s power to
extinguish every fleshly urge that
excuses sin. May Your
examination of my heart prompt
extemporaneous praise in me as
exquisite gospel truth in Christ
expulses all lesser affections.

Except for Christ, I have no hope for an

exodus out of sin. I could not be
exonerated from the just judgment I’ve earned
except for the miracle of justification. Inexplicably, I am
excluded from Hell on the merit of Christ, this
extreme mystery, the pardon of sin,
executing the perfectly innocent to redeem the
extraordinarily guilty.

77
 Y O U R X - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

X-RAY XYLOPHONE XENOPHOBIA EXACERBATE

EXAMINE EXCEL EXCHANGE EXERT

EXODUS EXPAND EXPEL EXTEND

EXTINGUISH EXTRAVAGANT EXUDE EXALT

Y O U R P E R S O N A L X - P R AY E R S

78
CHAPTER
TWENTY
FIVE

THE
Y
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 25

SAMPLE
Y- P R AY E R S
Yawning, sleepy discipleship grips me, O God.
Yeast-like, sin inflects me with its
yelping demands and yammering promises,
yielding nothing but oxen to the slaughter.
Yet, Jesus, You broke that old yoke and made me
yearn for the new life of the Spirit, a life of
“Yes” in Christ’s promises, new standing before
You – the one true God.

Yielding joyfully, I bow before You,

Yahweh – great God of covenant. In
Your infinite wisdom You uttered a divine
“Yes” that included me in salvation’s plan. Now I
yearn to live out the implications of Your holiness,
yoked with Jesus. In my brokenness, I
yield to Your gracious guidance. An old life dead,
yet all things have burst forth new in You.

80
 Y O U R Y- P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

YAHWEH YAMMER YAP YARN

YAWN YEARN YELL YELP

YES YIELD YOKE YONDER

YET YOUR YOURS YOUTH

Y O U R P E R S O N A L Y- P R AY E R S

81
CHAPTER
TWENTY
SIX

THE
Z
P R AY E R S
 CHAPTER 26

SAMPLE
Z - P R AY E R S
Zany living, foolish and silly, must become
zeal for You, O God. Become the
zenith, the high point of my life
zapping lower things … lesser things. Let me
zip up my life in the Spirit. Let me
zoom to the heights of Your grace that
zeroed-out sin’s debt. Now I stand in the
zone of righteousness – justified in the Beloved.

Zap the chains, O God. Sin’s

zoo has led me too long, a spiritual
zebra, black and white stripes
zipped over Your new creation. Give me
zeal to break free of the old skin,
zestfully stretching with expulsive power,
zooming forward with new life, a spiritual
zealot transfixed by Your glory now and forever.

83
 Y O U R Z - P R AY E R S TA R T E R PA C K

ZANY ZAP ZEAL ZEALOT

ZEALOUS ZEBRA ZENITH ZERO

ZEST ZILLION ZION ZIP

ZIPPER ZONE ZOO ZOOM

Y O U R P E R S O N A L Z - P R AY E R S

84
 CONCLUSION
So what do you think? Will you incorporate this approach to prayer as one of your collection of
spiritual disciplines?

If so, that’s great.

If not, that’s fine as well.

Over many years as a Christian, I’ve learned that our discipleship is personal. Certainly, we all
pass through certain stages along the way in much the same way that most children mature de-
velopmentally in somewhat predictable ways. How else could publishers produce all those books
and newsletters entitled, “Your Baby at 9 Months,” or “Your Child at Three Years.”

In spite of similarities, parents know that every child is different. So it is in our development spir-
itually. Each of us grow and develop in different ways at various times using an assortment of
spiritual tools. Throughout the process, a few things remain essential – we need to read the Bible
and we need to pray. To these, we can add many more practices that support spiritual develop-
ment but without these two, we will falter.

If this process has prompted an interest in you about Psalm 119, I would encourage you to check
out the devotional book The Psalm 119 Experience: The Devotional Journey You Will Not Forget
and The Psalm 119 Experience Music.

I created these two resources out of my personal experience. That experience changed me and
drew me into a closer relationship with God. If what I discovered along the way can help encour-
age you, I will be thrilled.

From time to time, I’ll let you know about additional resources that may be helpful to you. Thanks
for giving me the privilege of sharing my experience with Psalm 119 with you. By the way, if you
purchase The Psalm 119 Experience devotional or The Psalm 119 Experience Music, please send
me an email and let me know what you think. I would really appreciate your feedback.

John Kramp
Brentwood, Tennessee
john@psalm119experience.com

85
 T H E

PSALM
119
E X P E R I E N C E

A DEVOTIONAL JOURNEY
YOU WILL NOT FORGET

JOHN KRAMP

Available on Amazon or wherever fine books are sold.

 Did you know that Psalm 119 has a soundtrack?

It does – 22 songs that will help God’s Word stick in your mind.

As you listen, you’ll actually memorize all 176 verses in Psalm 119 effortlessly.

John Kramp wrote the 22 songs and top Nashville session vocalists and

instrumentalists recorded them. All 22 songs in The Psalm 119 Experience

Music album are available for purchase on iTunes. Plus, when you download the

album, you’ll get the 22 instrumental tracks for the songs for free – 44 tracks in

one album.

Find out more at www.psalm119experience.com

Would you like to have a personal guide for your Psalm 119 Experience?

You can.

John Kramp hosts The Psalm 119 Experience Podcast that you can

download for free. Each episode features devotional insights as well

as portions of the songs from The Psalm 119 Experience Music album.

Go to www.psalm119experience.com. There you will get all you need

to listen online or to download the podcast for free through iTunes.