When You Need Peace & Quiet – Pray Psalm 23
I used to call my mom, “the healthiest sick person I knew.”
She was a breast cancer survivor who lived with arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart arrhythmia, and severe osteoporosis. Those were just her health issues … she was also a wife, mom, and grandmother.
Like moms everywhere, she had reasons to worry about the people she loved, giving her plenty of reasons to toss and turn through the night contemplating the day’s challenges.
But she didn’t…
Mom told us that when she struggled to sleep, she prayed Psalm 23.
As she prayed, she consciously placed all her problems in the hands of the Shepherd … and she always fell asleep before repeating it the third time.
If you’re a regular here, you know I love praying Scripture. For years, like my mom, I recited verses in my head praying them back to God.
But in recent years, I’ve discovered the joy of praying Scripture by taking a verse, praying the words, and adding what they mean to me.
Let’s pray Psalm 23 together. It makes me think of my mom and reminds me to put my problems into the hands of the Shepherd trusting Him to give me peace.
Pray Psalm 23 When You Need Peace & Quiet
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
Psalm 23:1
Lord God, Your Word says, your “sheep hear Your voice and follow You.” (John 10:27) That is my prayer! To hear and know Your voice in a world that is loud and constantly clamoring for my attention and focus.
You are my Shepherd. And when I trust and follow You, I have everything I need. Please forgive me for confusing my needs with my wants. Help me trust that if You have not allowed something … I either don’t need it or the time is not right.
Please help me follow You in faith. Help me trust Your gracious provision and find my peace in Your presence. Amen.
He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams.
Psalm 23:2
Lord, h
Your Spirit instructs and guides me … filling me with Your hard-to-understand peace. And even when the world around me is chaotic and crazy, I know I am safe, secure, and satisfied because You are the Lord of my life. Amen
He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name.
Psalm 23:3
Father God, thank you for forgiving my sins and washing me clean. By Your mercy and grace, You restore and strengthen the very core of who I am … who You created me to be.
Because You have made me Your own through Jesus and declared me forgiven, restored, and renewed. And by the power of Your Spirit, I have all I need to trust and follow Your will … not to earn Your favor or polish my crown and not to impress the people around me but simply as a response to Your love and a desire to bring glory to Your name. Amen.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
Psalm 23:4
I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
Lord, even when life is gloomy and treacherous, I will trust that You are with me giving me everything I need. I am not afraid today because of who You are and all You’ve done in the past.
You have held me close and protected me when life’s circumstances seemed unbearable. You have healed my broken heart and filled me with hope. I trust that You are faithful to Your promises from generation to generation.
Your rod protects and Your staff guides. I have nothing to fear when You are with me. Throughout my life, You have been my source of hope, strength, courage, comfort, and protection. And even when I
You prepare a feast for me
Psalm 23:5
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
You pour abundant grace and mercy into my life. You lavish love and forgiveness over me giving me everything I need to forgive others. I can forgive because I have feasted on the blessing of Your forgiveness.
You anoint me with oil setting me apart to experience life with You now and eternally. You pour blessings and gifts into my life with such abundance that I have all that’s needed to bless and serve others.
You are exceedingly generous and Your blessings are too numerous to count! Thank you for carrying my burdens and giving me peace. You are perfectly loving and caring. I praise You. Amen.
Surely Your goodness and unfailing love
Psalm 23:6
will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
You surround me with Your goodness and unfailing love every day of my life. You pursue me when I worry and wander and rejoice when I surrender to You care and let You carry me back to the flock.
So, by Your grace and with Your Spirit’s help, I will live each day confident that I am forever safe in Your care. Whatever happens in the world around me, through Christ Jesus, I am forgiven and loved. I have everything I need …
“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.” (Psalm 16:11)
Lord, Thank you for Your grace, mercy, and love and for giving me everything I need. Amen.
When you need peace and quiet, remember…
- Your Shepherd loves you.
- Your Shepherd leads you.
- Your Shepherd provides for you.
- Your Shepherd fights for you.
- Your Shepherd protects and pursues you.
- Your Shepherd sets you apart for His glory.
Enjoy His peace … the Lord is our Shepherd and by His grace, we have everything we need today, tomorrow, and always.
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Such a meaningful way to close out the day, Deb. I love how you made Psalm 23 come alive.
Blessings!
Thanks much, Martha! It is such a beautiful assuring Psalm. I’m so thankful for the reminder that we can trust the Lord our Shepherd to give us everything we need. Blessings!
This is beautiful! You are indeed very gifted, and the Lord really speaks to your heart. I could feel everything you wrote. I too, love this Psalm and I say it when I wake up in the night with fear. And, I say it many times on a daily basis. You did bring it to a place of total understanding in your prayer. I am so thankful for you and for this website. God has really blessed us through you!!
Hugs my friend.
Thank you, dear Friend! I can’t count the times David’s words have calmed my anxious heart. What a blessing that the Spirit inspired him to write them and inspires us to learn and recite them assuring us of the Lord’s loving care. I hope you’re have a wonderful long weekend. Blessings and hugs!
Obviously, the LORD is indeed my Shepherd.
May He continue to give me the grace to be His sheep forever. Amen
Amen, Stanley. What a blessing it is to KNOW and TRUST the Good Shepherd. God bless you!
You must have known I needed this today. Thank you so much!
Your mom❤️ What a testimony and encouragement. Thank you for sharing. This was a great reminder.
I was blessed with a good one! Thanks for visiting and for stopping to add to the conversation! God bless you, Anna!
Thank you for continually pointing us to scripture. Great post! Blessings, Maree
Thanks for your encouragement, Maree! God bless you!
This was a good Word for me today, Deb! The noise in my head has been loud. I need God’s Word to help me find the peace I crave. I’m praying this today!
Thanks, Stacey! I’m so glad it encouraged you! Sending HUGS!
The Lord is my shephered , I have everything I need
Amen, Kim. He is so very gracious and good! God bless you!
I thank God for using you to encourage contentement in Shepherd’s Care. There is the need to focus on Jesus and His Ministry as it continues the call to Salvation. Psalm 23 establishes our need for His constant attention and our constant need to look to Him fo all blessings.
Thank you for your kind encouragement, Francis. Knowing and Loving our Shepherd is the only true place to experience peace and a future filled with hope. May our gracious God bless you and give you His peace.