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Sacred Prayers: Drawn from the Psalms of David
202 pages, Paperback
Published November 4, 2025
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July 28, 2026
Vermigli's prayers on the psalms offer a fascinating window into several subjects.
First, and most obviously, Vermigli presents one model for how to utilize the psalter in public prayer. The prayers are short and thematic. Vermigli takes the central theme of the psalm and reflects on it, occasionally utilizing language from the text of Scripture itself. Some of these prayers are a bit too closely tied to their historical context to be entirely borrowed for contemporary use, but many can be.
Second, there are some suggestions here toward spiritual interpretation and application of specific psalms. For example, he takes Psalm 121:6 and applies it with this petition: "May we be everywhere protected, we beg, by your goodwill so that we may not burn with overheated, evil desires nor may either our charity to our neighbors or our devotion to you be extinguished by the coldness of infidelity in our hearts."
Third, Vermigli presents a model of piety that emphasizes remorse far more than ours does today. These (somewhat formulaic) prayers nearly always contain a confession of sin. Vermigli could take even a completely positive psalm like 148 and make a penitentiary prayer out of it!
Fourth, largely through all the above, the prayers intimate an idea of what Reformation-era Reformed public piety looked like. Vermigli doesn't quite bare his own soul on these pages, but we get an idea of the sorts of prayers the church (or, more specifically, university students) were praying together.
On the whole, the collection is a bit repetitive, but it makes for a worthy devotional companion to the psalter. I'll likely revisit it in the future, both for personal use, for sermon preparation, and for public prayer.
First, and most obviously, Vermigli presents one model for how to utilize the psalter in public prayer. The prayers are short and thematic. Vermigli takes the central theme of the psalm and reflects on it, occasionally utilizing language from the text of Scripture itself. Some of these prayers are a bit too closely tied to their historical context to be entirely borrowed for contemporary use, but many can be.
Second, there are some suggestions here toward spiritual interpretation and application of specific psalms. For example, he takes Psalm 121:6 and applies it with this petition: "May we be everywhere protected, we beg, by your goodwill so that we may not burn with overheated, evil desires nor may either our charity to our neighbors or our devotion to you be extinguished by the coldness of infidelity in our hearts."
Third, Vermigli presents a model of piety that emphasizes remorse far more than ours does today. These (somewhat formulaic) prayers nearly always contain a confession of sin. Vermigli could take even a completely positive psalm like 148 and make a penitentiary prayer out of it!
Fourth, largely through all the above, the prayers intimate an idea of what Reformation-era Reformed public piety looked like. Vermigli doesn't quite bare his own soul on these pages, but we get an idea of the sorts of prayers the church (or, more specifically, university students) were praying together.
On the whole, the collection is a bit repetitive, but it makes for a worthy devotional companion to the psalter. I'll likely revisit it in the future, both for personal use, for sermon preparation, and for public prayer.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review