The Lord is my Shepherd,
I lack nothing.
Psalm 23:1
8 Most Encouraging Psalms for Hard Times
The Book of Psalms contains some of the most quoted and powerful verses in the entire Bible. It is filled to the brim with hymns, poems and prayers about life, death and faith. The Psalmists take us on a fascinating rollercoaster ride of relatable human emotion and experience; their words lay bare all of life’s many seasons ranging from celebration, blessing and thankfulness to the deepest depths of despair — and everything in between. This is why, centuries later, the Psalms maintain their power to transform lives. They continue to speak directly to us about what we are going through today. They also tell us what to do about it.
If you have been feeling confused lately, wondering where God is in your life, the words of the psalmist’s will remind you that you are not alone. But they won’t leave you there. They will guide you through these hard times and show you not only how to trust God, but remind you of His unbreakable promises. So if you are going through a hard time, these words are for you … and it’s no coincidence you are about to read them.
Here are the 8 Most Encouraging Psalms for Hard Times. Prayerfully read them through slowly, reflecting on what God is saying and promising to you. Remember, the key to enact change is to believe.
8 Most Encouraging Psalms for Hard Times
Psalm 23:1-6
1 The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
3 He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for His Name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely Your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 27:1, 13-14
1 The Lord is my Light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 121:1-8
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of Heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
He Who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, He Who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
He will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Psalm 46:1-3, 5, 7, 10
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 37:3-7, 23-24
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him and He will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for Him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
23 The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in Him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with His hand.
Psalm 91:11, 14-16
11 For He will command His angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
14 “Because he loves Me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges My Name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him My salvation.”
Psalm 119:32, 105, 165
32 I run in the path of Your Commands,
for You have broadened my understanding.
105 Your Word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
165 Great peace have those who love Your Law,
and nothing can make them stumble.
Psalm 139:13-16, 23-24
13 For You created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in Your Book
before one of them came to be.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
A Psalm of Instruction
Psalm 1:1-3, 6
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the Law of the Lord,
and who meditates on His Law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
0 comments on “8 Most Encouraging Psalms for Hard Times”