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Prayers Inspired by the Psalms
Sheltering Mercy: Prayers Inspired by the Psalms
Christianity Today 2023 Book Award Finalist (Bible & Devotional)
Sheltering Mercy helps us rediscover the rich treasures of the Psalms--through free-verse prayer renderings of their poems and hymns--as a guide to personal devotion and meditation.
The church has always used the Psalms as part of its prayer life, and they have inspired countless other prayers. This book contains 75 prayers drawn from Psalms 1-75, providing lyrical sketches of what authors Ryan Whitaker Smith and Dan Wilt have seen, heard, and felt while sojourning in the Psalms. While each prayer corresponds to a particular psalm and touches on its themes and ideas, it is not a new translation of the Psalms or an attempt to modernize or contextualize their content or language. Rather, the prayers are responses to the Psalms written in harmony with Scripture. These prayers help us quiet our hearts before God and welcome us into a safe place amid the storms of life.
This artful, poetic, and classic devotional book features compelling custom illustrations and beautiful hardcover binding, offering a fresh way to reflect on and pray the Psalms.
Sheltering Mercy helps us rediscover the rich treasures of the Psalms--through free-verse prayer renderings of their poems and hymns--as a guide to personal devotion and meditation.
The church has always used the Psalms as part of its prayer life, and they have inspired countless other prayers. This book contains 75 prayers drawn from Psalms 1-75, providing lyrical sketches of what authors Ryan Whitaker Smith and Dan Wilt have seen, heard, and felt while sojourning in the Psalms. While each prayer corresponds to a particular psalm and touches on its themes and ideas, it is not a new translation of the Psalms or an attempt to modernize or contextualize their content or language. Rather, the prayers are responses to the Psalms written in harmony with Scripture. These prayers help us quiet our hearts before God and welcome us into a safe place amid the storms of life.
This artful, poetic, and classic devotional book features compelling custom illustrations and beautiful hardcover binding, offering a fresh way to reflect on and pray the Psalms.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published February 8, 2022
76 people are currently reading
1757 people want to read
About the author
Ryan Whitaker Smith
5 books25 followersRYAN WHITAKER SMITH is an author and filmmaker from Nashville, Tennessee. His film projects include the romantic drama Surprised by Oxford, based on the award winning memoir by Carolyn Weber, the Lionsgate documentary The Jesus Music, and a forthcoming adaptation of G. K. Chesterton's comic adventure The Ball and the Cross. He is coauthor, with Dan Wilt, of Sheltering Mercy and Endless Grace, two collections of prayers inspired by the Psalms.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 5, 2024
I enjoyed the creative was the authors interpreted the Psalms.
April 26, 2022
I appreciate the authors going out of their way to clarify that this book is not divinely inspired or even a paraphrase of the actual Psalms--only inspired by them. See, Jesus Calling, you could have avoided so much heresy with the right disclaimer! But I digress.
I have lots of Thoughts and Opinions about poetry, and if I were so inclined I could find plenty to critique in the poetic conventions used in Sheltering Mercy. But when I viewed it as a devotional aid instead of literature, I found myself genuinely moved and inspired to pray. Christ followers will come away with more than just some lovely turns of phrase.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)
I have lots of Thoughts and Opinions about poetry, and if I were so inclined I could find plenty to critique in the poetic conventions used in Sheltering Mercy. But when I viewed it as a devotional aid instead of literature, I found myself genuinely moved and inspired to pray. Christ followers will come away with more than just some lovely turns of phrase.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)
April 8, 2023
1000000000000/10. Literally cannot recommend enough. So so helpful for understanding the Psalms. Has given me a greater understanding of God’s infinite grace & sheltering mercy
August 13, 2024
This collection of prayers inspired by the psalms ministered to my soul. Prayers set in poetic verse, the imagery was beautiful, and opened windows for me to meditate on the Character of God. I’d highly recommend this volume for those reasons.
Read
March 16, 2022I was drawn to this book first by the cover. I know, don’t judge a book by its cover…but honestly, I always do! This cover is simple and clear, but is neither feminine or masculine, so it would make a great gift for men or women. Essentially this book is free verse poetry inspired by Psalms (and other scriptures as well). A little known tidbit about me is that I was quite the poetry writer as a teenager! Free verse was my style of choice, and I wrote hundreds of poems. Even as an adult, I enjoy free verse poetry, and it really does take some skill to write it well. The poems in Sheltering Mercy can be read as they are, or if you wanted, you could sing them to a made up tune. You can also use them as prayers. They are well written, flow nicely, and use language that is easy to understand. It does not feel lime the authors were being pretentious when writing. Each poem is a reasonable length, so you could even read one per day as part of your devotional time.
I like how each poem clearly says what Psalm it is inspired by, and in a footnote it lists any other verses used. At the front of the book there is a table of contents which categorizes each poem by topic. That is great if you want to read something specific. Overall, this is a great book and I recommend it. It would make a great gift for Christians new and mature, men or women.
I like how each poem clearly says what Psalm it is inspired by, and in a footnote it lists any other verses used. At the front of the book there is a table of contents which categorizes each poem by topic. That is great if you want to read something specific. Overall, this is a great book and I recommend it. It would make a great gift for Christians new and mature, men or women.
July 19, 2022
The Psalms always stir up a response. These prayers are just that and worth praying as your own.
December 3, 2022
This book is not Scripture and it does not take the Pslams and rewrite them for modern audiences. What this book does is what we should see being done by a greater number of Christian artists - being inspired and using the inspiration of God's revealed Word to communicate truths from the outpouring of His revelation.
We used this as a family devotional of sorts. We would read the Psalm and communicate that the Psalm in question was God's inspired Word to use. We would talk about what that Psalm meant for the reader and author at the time and what its implications are for us on this side of the Cross. We would then read from this book with the understanding that this was inspired by God's revelation but it was not the inspired Word.
For young kids who haven't experienced the full perils of the world yet, the first 75 Psalms make for a good introduction of what can come about in the world and where we can turn to. The Christian experience isn't to just smile through the pain of life, shrug our shoulders at the unfairness of those who do wrong, or have no complaints when we face hardships. Our goal is to rely on God and His Word as the source of making sense of those evils. What is evil without an objective truth or ultimate good? It is nothing more than preferring chocolate ice cream over vanilla.
Like all books of poetry, there are some you'll like and some you won't. There will be some that help at the time and some that will help later. What is really nice about this book is that there isn't a one-to-one correlation between the Psalm it's inspired by and what's written. The theme(s) of Psalm in imbued in the section but it's a new thing, a new prayer, that follows the keystrokes along the path of the Psalm. It also doesn't stick to just the words of the Old Testament but weaves in verses, themes, and theology of the New Testament - exactly what you would expect from Christian art being inspired by the Word of God.
While this book wouldn't be for everyone, it is a book worth considering especially for those who want to produce good Christian art. Not everything has to be an altar call message where the atheist either comes to salvation or rues the day He ever challenge God and His People. This is the Christian art we need to see based on living in God's Word and being renewed people of worship. Final Grade - A-
We used this as a family devotional of sorts. We would read the Psalm and communicate that the Psalm in question was God's inspired Word to use. We would talk about what that Psalm meant for the reader and author at the time and what its implications are for us on this side of the Cross. We would then read from this book with the understanding that this was inspired by God's revelation but it was not the inspired Word.
For young kids who haven't experienced the full perils of the world yet, the first 75 Psalms make for a good introduction of what can come about in the world and where we can turn to. The Christian experience isn't to just smile through the pain of life, shrug our shoulders at the unfairness of those who do wrong, or have no complaints when we face hardships. Our goal is to rely on God and His Word as the source of making sense of those evils. What is evil without an objective truth or ultimate good? It is nothing more than preferring chocolate ice cream over vanilla.
Like all books of poetry, there are some you'll like and some you won't. There will be some that help at the time and some that will help later. What is really nice about this book is that there isn't a one-to-one correlation between the Psalm it's inspired by and what's written. The theme(s) of Psalm in imbued in the section but it's a new thing, a new prayer, that follows the keystrokes along the path of the Psalm. It also doesn't stick to just the words of the Old Testament but weaves in verses, themes, and theology of the New Testament - exactly what you would expect from Christian art being inspired by the Word of God.
While this book wouldn't be for everyone, it is a book worth considering especially for those who want to produce good Christian art. Not everything has to be an altar call message where the atheist either comes to salvation or rues the day He ever challenge God and His People. This is the Christian art we need to see based on living in God's Word and being renewed people of worship. Final Grade - A-
April 24, 2022
Dan Wilt and Ryan Smith have teamed up to lift the first seventy-five psalms off the pages of your Bible and into your prayer life. I encountered Sheltering Mercy shortly after having prayed my way through the Psalms, and it felt like discovering fellow travelers on a hopeful road.
I began by reading the entries for the psalms I know best. Connecting those much-loved words with Wilt and Smith’s renderings revealed each psalm anew in its refreshing honesty.
Viewed through a New Testament lens, the psalms clearly magnify Christ. Received as an invitation to personal prayer, they open a window to praise and offer a gritty script to the desperate. Praying scripture may be the strong medicine needed by 21st-century believers who have become perfunctory in our prayer life.
The final chorus of Psalm 75 exults in the presence of the Divine Author behind all the psalms’ human authors. God gives joy for the heart and strength for the soul. Praying the psalms reminds our hearts that God’s relentless presence is every bit as real today.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Brazos Press for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.
I began by reading the entries for the psalms I know best. Connecting those much-loved words with Wilt and Smith’s renderings revealed each psalm anew in its refreshing honesty.
Viewed through a New Testament lens, the psalms clearly magnify Christ. Received as an invitation to personal prayer, they open a window to praise and offer a gritty script to the desperate. Praying scripture may be the strong medicine needed by 21st-century believers who have become perfunctory in our prayer life.
The final chorus of Psalm 75 exults in the presence of the Divine Author behind all the psalms’ human authors. God gives joy for the heart and strength for the soul. Praying the psalms reminds our hearts that God’s relentless presence is every bit as real today.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Brazos Press for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.
January 15, 2025
Beautiful, heartfelt prayers that spring from the Psalms. I read the Psalm then the prayer. A good devotional time.
February 7, 2023
A wonderful tool to pray through the Psalms. Simply beautiful words and petitions that raise the affections to wonder at and worship our Lord.
April 27, 2023
I dwelled in these words for a few months. Each psalm is a treasure of words from the entire scriptures pulled together to offer the sheltering mercy of Christ.
March 26, 2024
Great addition to a devotional time
January 25, 2022
I've never come across anything quite like Sheltering Mercy. It's a gentle read, thoughtfully written, and it gets five stars from me.
The authors described the book not as paraphrase, a commentary or a translation—but as a prayerful response that mirrors each psalm in tone and content. The following is a short excerpt from the Introduction, and I'd say they accomplish what they set out to do:
"The prayers contained in this book (covering the first seventy-five psalms) are the fruit of our labors. They are not translations or paraphrases. Neither of us pretend to be qualified for such a task. Rather, they are responses—prayerful, poetic sketches—written in harmony with Scripture. We’ve taken to calling them free-verse renderings, which is just another way of saying they are impressionistic poetry without the limitations of meter or rhyme. Imagine a painter roaming the countryside who, stumbling upon a hidden valley, scrambles for her canvas and paints in an attempt to capture the vista before her: the rocky hillsides spilling down into a meadow of green and violet, the sun straining through the clouds to scatter its golden light across the scene. The painting that results is not the valley itself, but an impression of it—an attempt (however feebly) to harmonize with its beauty. We have attempted to do something like that here. The psalms are holy ground, and these prayers are lyrical paintings of what we have seen, heard, and felt while sojourning there."
The authors described the book not as paraphrase, a commentary or a translation—but as a prayerful response that mirrors each psalm in tone and content. The following is a short excerpt from the Introduction, and I'd say they accomplish what they set out to do:
"The prayers contained in this book (covering the first seventy-five psalms) are the fruit of our labors. They are not translations or paraphrases. Neither of us pretend to be qualified for such a task. Rather, they are responses—prayerful, poetic sketches—written in harmony with Scripture. We’ve taken to calling them free-verse renderings, which is just another way of saying they are impressionistic poetry without the limitations of meter or rhyme. Imagine a painter roaming the countryside who, stumbling upon a hidden valley, scrambles for her canvas and paints in an attempt to capture the vista before her: the rocky hillsides spilling down into a meadow of green and violet, the sun straining through the clouds to scatter its golden light across the scene. The painting that results is not the valley itself, but an impression of it—an attempt (however feebly) to harmonize with its beauty. We have attempted to do something like that here. The psalms are holy ground, and these prayers are lyrical paintings of what we have seen, heard, and felt while sojourning there."
March 10, 2022
While I know it's still early for 2022, this may be my favourite non-fiction of the year.
Sheltering Mercy is not a translation nor a true paraphrase of the first 75 Psalms but rather poetic prayers and reflections based on each of those chapters. I was really impressed cover to cover with Smith and Wilt's efforts.
First the visual appearance instantly drew me in, with its stylized illustrations and careful word placement the words flowed that reflected their initial inspiration in the Psalms. I appreciated the authors earnest, emotive word choice, their used of footnotes to additional inspiration verses throughout scripture, emotional honesty.
I also appreciated how they took these psalms and reflected on them through the lens of the Christ crucified and resurrected. It was a perspective I've heard encouraged previously but never laid out so beautifully.
I truly hope the authors will continue this effort with a second volume covering the second half of the Psalms as it feels like such a needed and underrepresented area in new Christian literature.
5 out of 5 stars
Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.
Sheltering Mercy is not a translation nor a true paraphrase of the first 75 Psalms but rather poetic prayers and reflections based on each of those chapters. I was really impressed cover to cover with Smith and Wilt's efforts.
First the visual appearance instantly drew me in, with its stylized illustrations and careful word placement the words flowed that reflected their initial inspiration in the Psalms. I appreciated the authors earnest, emotive word choice, their used of footnotes to additional inspiration verses throughout scripture, emotional honesty.
I also appreciated how they took these psalms and reflected on them through the lens of the Christ crucified and resurrected. It was a perspective I've heard encouraged previously but never laid out so beautifully.
I truly hope the authors will continue this effort with a second volume covering the second half of the Psalms as it feels like such a needed and underrepresented area in new Christian literature.
5 out of 5 stars
Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.
August 19, 2022
This book covers the first 75 Psalms, will definitely pick up the next installment in 2023. The publisher describes the book this way, which is better than I could sum it up:
"The church has always used the Psalms as part of its prayer life, and they have inspired countless other prayers. This book contains 75 prayers drawn from Psalms 1-75, providing lyrical sketches of what authors Ryan Smith and Dan Wilt have seen, heard, and felt while sojourning in the Psalms. While each prayer corresponds to a particular psalm and touches on its themes and ideas, it is not a new translation of the Psalms or an attempt to modernize or contextualize their content or language. Rather, the prayers are responses to the Psalms written in harmony with Scripture. These prayers help us quiet our hearts before God and welcome us into a safe place amid the storms of life."
Really enjoyed this one as part of my daily morning readings. Worth picking up a copy for yourself.
"The church has always used the Psalms as part of its prayer life, and they have inspired countless other prayers. This book contains 75 prayers drawn from Psalms 1-75, providing lyrical sketches of what authors Ryan Smith and Dan Wilt have seen, heard, and felt while sojourning in the Psalms. While each prayer corresponds to a particular psalm and touches on its themes and ideas, it is not a new translation of the Psalms or an attempt to modernize or contextualize their content or language. Rather, the prayers are responses to the Psalms written in harmony with Scripture. These prayers help us quiet our hearts before God and welcome us into a safe place amid the storms of life."
Really enjoyed this one as part of my daily morning readings. Worth picking up a copy for yourself.
March 19, 2022
Complimentary Copy received from Nuts about Books.
Love this book. I love the heart of the authors who want to encourage believers to pray scripture back to God. To perhaps, in this free verse response, find new ways to respond to God.
The illustrations and the book itself are pleasing to the eye.
Not meant to replace scripture, but just to encourage our own hearts response to scripture. The only thing I would change is to perhaps having the Psalm, and then the poetic response following. This would help to ensure that people seek scripture first, and then make a response back to God from that scripture.
well done from cover to cover. One of my rare five star reviews.
Love this book. I love the heart of the authors who want to encourage believers to pray scripture back to God. To perhaps, in this free verse response, find new ways to respond to God.
The illustrations and the book itself are pleasing to the eye.
Not meant to replace scripture, but just to encourage our own hearts response to scripture. The only thing I would change is to perhaps having the Psalm, and then the poetic response following. This would help to ensure that people seek scripture first, and then make a response back to God from that scripture.
well done from cover to cover. One of my rare five star reviews.
February 12, 2022
“Sheltering Mercy” is a book of prayers inspired by the Psalms. The authors have written a prayer for each Psalm, 1-75. The prayers are poetic and beautifully written, and the illustrations are lovely. The prayers themselves are full of truth about God and His promises. An example below:
“I return to the firm foundation of Your truth: that Your Spirit dwells within me, the hope of glory; that you are with me, to the end of the age.“ Psalm 27
I highly recommend this wonderful book!
“I return to the firm foundation of Your truth: that Your Spirit dwells within me, the hope of glory; that you are with me, to the end of the age.“ Psalm 27
I highly recommend this wonderful book!
February 1, 2025
Psalms - the Whispers, the Shouts, the Cries of Our Hearts Reborn
“Looking back, I see that my life is a picture of Your providence. From the shadow of the womb, You guided my growth in grace. When I was young, Your Spirit taught me courage. Never was I alone; never was I unloved. Praise leads me into Your presence again—to our meeting place; our table of communion.”
“Looking back, I see that my life is a picture of Your providence. From the shadow of the womb, You guided my growth in grace. When I was young, Your Spirit taught me courage. Never was I alone; never was I unloved. Praise leads me into Your presence again—to our meeting place; our table of communion.”
February 13, 2022
Beauty for the Soul
This book will become one of your favorite prayer books. These prayers (based on the Hebrew Psalms) draw out the bass notes of the soul and reverberate through time, expressing the joy and longings, the pain and ecstasy that is being human relating to the Divine.
This book will become one of your favorite prayer books. These prayers (based on the Hebrew Psalms) draw out the bass notes of the soul and reverberate through time, expressing the joy and longings, the pain and ecstasy that is being human relating to the Divine.
March 20, 2022
This was a perfect book of psalm poetry, the only thing it was missing was one of those built in ribbon bookmarks.
Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
November 6, 2023
This is a great book to encourage a fresh reading of the Psalms. It goes through each Psalm rewritten in the authors own expression of prayer. I think the best use of it might be to read in conjunction with each Psalm and then maybe write your own prayers.
December 16, 2025
An absolutely beautiful collection of poetry-this book brought great encouragement to my heart! I loved reading it alongside the Psalms each day and I’m excited to continue going through the rest of his books.
May 15, 2022
I want to give this book to all my friends.
May 19, 2022
Beautiful poetic prayers inspired by the Psalms.
I am just learning the value of praying scripture and LOVE it.
Lovely book! Inspired to try my own poetic prayers from scripture.
I am just learning the value of praying scripture and LOVE it.
Lovely book! Inspired to try my own poetic prayers from scripture.
June 5, 2022
I read a Psalm from this book every night. LOVE. I will read this book again. Poetic, spiritual.
June 22, 2022
Wonderful prayers collected in this book that will guide you in your prayer life.
December 1, 2022
An absolutely beautiful book of prayers inspired by the Psalms. I have nothing to say that would do it justice. Read it.
January 10, 2023
Loved it. Bought several copies to give away :) Can't wait for the second volume to come out...
March 5, 2023
Spectacularly Beautiful!
March 19, 2023
Beautiful spirit filled poetry!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews