5 Psalms to Pray When You Are Sad and Hurting
It’s been a hard week.
I’ve been sad. My heart hurts.
Memories. What-ifs. What should have been. All thoughts I’ve surrender over and over again but then there are weeks like this one when a date on the calendar makes it harder.
So, I’ve done more crying out this week. I’ve pleaded and asked God to fill me with His peace as He makes me aware of His faithfulness and love.
Maybe you get it, your heart hurts too.
The date or season reminds you of…
- the day your family fell apart.
- the day your friend betrayed you.
- the day your loved-one died.
- the day you made your biggest mistake.
- the day you wish you could undo or do over.
And you’re reliving memories and emotions.
This week’s verses and prayers are for anyone whose heart hurts.
5 Psalms to Pray When You Are Sad and Hurting
Psalm 27:7–8
Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
My heart has heard You say,
“Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” (NLT)
Father, thank you. When my heart is sad You whisper “come and talk.” You invite me into Your throne room to tell You about whatever is bothering or upsetting me. What a blessing to come and sit in Your presence and hear that You love and forgive me. And in my hurt You remind me of the peace that comes in forgiving others. Your grace and mercy overwhelm me. Lord, I am coming … thank you for hearing my prayer. Amen.
Psalm 62:5–6,8
Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.
O my people, trust in Him at all times.
Pour out your heart to Him,
for God is our refuge. (NLT)
Father, this world can be terrifying and sad. Terrible things happen and sometimes I feel like I just want to stay in bed and hide. But You are my rock and my salvation. You are strong and trustworthy and because of who You are, I will not be overcome. Generation after generation You prove Yourself trustworthy. So, I will pour my heart out to You remembering the many times You have calmed my heart in the past. Thank you, Father. You are my safe place and You fill me with hope. Amen.
Psalm 147:3–6
He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.
He counts the stars
and names each one.
Our Lord is great and very powerful.
There is no limit to what He knows. (NCV)
Father, I love these words. You are Creator, the namer of stars. You rule over the universe and yet, You care about me. It’s really too wonderful to grasp … that You would know the “number of hairs on my head” (Matthew 10:30) and the deepest thoughts in my heart … the broken places I try to hide from the world. Thank you for Your love and care, for healing the broken pieces of my heart. You are great and You are tender. I thank and praise You. Amen.
Psalm 56:8,10
You have recorded my troubles.
You have kept a list of my tears.
Aren’t they in your records?
I praise God for His word to me;
I praise the Lord for His word. (NLT)
Oh, Father, how these words comfort me. When life distresses me and tears flow You hold me close. No pain or problem is too difficult for You. Thank you for whispering Your words of promise to my heart. You have always been faithful to keep every promise; so, I cling to Your words.
- I am with you always. Matthew 28:20
- I am forgiven and free in Jesus. John 8:36
- I have Your Spirit to give me peace, joy, hope, patience. Galatians 5:22–23
- You faithfully meet every need. Philippians 4:19
Thank you for Your Word – trustworthy and true. Amen.
Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (NIV)
And Father, of all Your promises this is favorite. It reminds me that as long as I have You, I have everything I need. You are my hope and strength. You are my everything. I am Yours because of Jesus, in whose name I come and talk with You. Amen.
What verse do you go to when your heart hurts?
These Psalms and your prayers are so comforting, Deb, especially after the tragedy our nation has most recently endured. May we all turn to the Lord in our time of need. He will comfort and restore us.
Blessings, my friend!
Praying this morning for you Deb, for comfort and God’s abundant peace over you. The Psalms are always such healing balm during the most difficult times of life. May He be the Lifter of Your Head in the days to come. Hugs friend!
The psalms have been helping me through this week as well, Deb. So thankful for infusions of truth that counteract my negativity.
((Hugs)), Deb. I’m thankful that even in our darkest times, God provides hope in His Word, especially the Psalms.
Love this…you can never go wrong praying the Word!
Deb- Sending prayer right now for you. I am sorry your heart is sad this week. I know this week has reminded us that life here on earth is filled with pain.
My go to verse is “Be Still and know that I am GOD.” Psalm 46:10
I love to sit with God and feel his arms wrapped around me on a sad day.
beautiful and timely. will share.
Love this, Deb! The verses, the prayers, and the hope!
Oh Deb, how my heart aches just hearing of your pain this past week. In this life we will have our fair share of heart ache. May you continue to take refuge in our great and mighty God. And thank you for pointing us to the One who is the lifter of our heads through these beautiful psalms. (I so appreciate the feature this week!) What a blessing you are to this community! I will be in prayer for you. 🙂
Praying for you this morning, Deb. The Psalms always bring comfort, hope, peace, and assurance when we are most in need. Thank you for this post!
Another verse from Psalm 27 is also meaningful to me in hard times: “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” We wait and we will see. Thanks for the encouragement, Deb.
Thank you very much I can’t tell you how thesee Psalms and your prayers make me comfortable, Deb after a bad night fighting with my husband God bless you and bless every step you taken to make the words of our Lord Jesus Christ used in our lives
Psalm is the go-to chapter for so many things. The Jewish pray from it morning and night. I do too. There are so many things from the Torah restated in the Psalm. I also find modern day problems addressed there often. It is as if David and others wrote those words for me to read and get encouragement from. The Bible is so deep like that. I think in God’s infinite wisdom the one verse of scripture can mean many more things than it appears to. It is just fascinating and it is for sure a wonderful place to go for comfort. Thanks for hosting!
Wonderful list, Deb! These are always good to have at the ready since there is always someone we know who is hurting. Pinned and tweeted!
Thanksgiving (in Canada) can be a little hard for me. Christmas as well. It’s a reminder of ‘what I don’t have that I should’ve had’. Focusing on God’s word is what helps me stay grounded in His truth – and the reminder to be thankful for what I do have – a strong marriage, wonderful kids, joy…and so much more. Thanks for sharing on Grace and Truth!