Big Idea: As students in the school of faith, we have the Lord as our Teacher, and his ways (and will) are our curriculum.

Understanding the Text

This psalm is another example of reflective prayer (see Ps. 16), in which the suppliant talks to God and then reflects on the subject of the prayer (see “Outline/Structure” below), either alone or in company with others. Goldingay proposes that it has an instructional purpose, to teach people to pray.[1] Generically, Psalm 25 is generally typed as an individual lament, while Craigie insists that the language is more descriptive of a psalm of confidence (psalm of trust).[2] Its connections with wisdom poetry have also been noted, especially the use of the terms “way(s)” (25:4, 8, 9, 10, and 12; the noun is turned into a verb, “guide,” in 25:5 an…