5 Psalms to Pray When You are Feeling Sad

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I want to be totally honest with you today. Okay, let me rephrase that because I’m honest with you every day…

I guess what I’m going to do today is make myself a little more vulnerable because I want you to know that like you, I struggle.

I have battled fear, worry, anxiety, and general sadness off and on for much of my life. I have BIG emotions. BIG HAPPINESS and sometimes BIG SADNESS!

Maybe you’re a BIG emotions person, too.

Even if you’re not a person who wears your emotions out there for everyone to see – you still feel life and at times those feelings are going to be sad. It’s inevitable. Everyone has times when their current difficult circumstances or past painful memories are enough to bury their joy and happiness under a pile of junk!

But this is the thing…

By God’s grace, we aren’t alone. God welcomes you and me into His throne room through prayer—not only when we’re praising Him with gratitude and joy but when we’re approaching Him with heavy hearts full of sadness.

I love that David and the other writers of the Psalms consistently tell us how about the blessing of taking everything to God in prayer – even our sadness.

• Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. (Psalm 55:17)
• Give your burdens to the Lord. (Psalm 55:22)
• I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. (Psalm 61:2)
• The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9)
• He has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned His back on them but has listened to their cries for help. (Psalm 22:24)

If your heart is heavy today, weighted with a burden of sadness … if you’re feeling sad, please join me as I go to God asking for His covering of comfort, strength, peace, and love…

5 Psalms to Pray When You are Feeling Sad

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Psalm 34:18

Father, My heart hurts today. I’m not even sure why exactly. Past problems and pain gnaw at my heart. My worries about the future agitate and unsettle me. And today, well today has had plenty of its own problems. So, I’m run to You … clinging to the promise that You are close to the brokenhearted.

I know all sin breaks Your heart. My sin, other people’s sin, and the sin and decay that affects Your beautiful creation. Yet You promise to rescue those who come to You in repentance. Through Jesus, You rescue and heal me when I am crushed by the sadness of sin.

Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for holding me close when I’m feeling sad.

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them all by name.

How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!

Psalm 147:3–5

Father, Creator of all, You know the exact number of stars in the universe and call each one by name. Your Word says You know me, everything about me … even the number of hairs on my head. (Matthew 10:30)

You care about the condition of my heart … You know my thoughts when I’m happy and even when I’m sad. Thank you for understanding me even better than I understand myself. Thank you for caring … for loving me, holding me, and healing me by You mercy and grace.

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
    They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
    they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
    You are still with me!

Psalm 139:17–18

What an awesome and amazing thought, Lord. You have limitless loving thoughts about me. You call me Your precious child. And You promise to be with me. Thank you!

Please hold me close, Lord. My sadness feels like a heavy weight. You said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) I need that rest today! I need Your help to carry this sadness.

Thank you, for all the times You have helped me and given me Your peace and strength in the past. I am clinging to Your promises and bringing You my burden of sadness today.

I love you, Lord; You are my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
    my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
    and my place of safety.

Psalm 18:1–2

Father, I love You! Thank you for helping me by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Thank you for reminding me to pause and remember the ways You have faithfully been my strength, my savior, and my protector.

Thank you for reminding me that I can run to You, my place of safety, even when my emotions fall far short of happiness and joy. You know my thoughts and feelings and invite me to honestly and openly talk about them with You. Thank you for loving me the way I am and thank you for loving me so much You want Your very best for me.

I believe Your best for me today, is that I lay my sadness at Your throne of grace trusting You to give me everything I need that I might rise up with the strength and power only You can give.

You changed my sorrow into dancing.
    You took away my clothes of sadness,
    and clothed me in happiness.
I will sing to You and not be silent.
    Lord, my God, I will praise You forever.

Psalm 30:11–12

And I believe, Father, that You are changing my sadness into joy and that You are clothing me with future happiness. Because I am secure in You. Although, my happiness and even my sadness come and go … You remain the same yesterday, today, and forever.

I trust that You have collected my tears in a bottle and recorded each one in Your book. (Psalm 56:8) You know my past and You see into my glorious future. A future I am promised because of Your gift of love—because of Jesus.

So, I will thank and praise You today. I will focus on my past and current blessings. By Your grace and with Your help, I will praise You forever and always. In Jesus, name. Amen.

I can’t tell you how often I’ve had to walk through the process of surrendering my sadness at the throne of grace … how often the Lord has held me close and given me His strength when I cried out to Him in prayer.

But there is something important you need to know…

I have also had times when my sadness was deep and lasting … times when I began to question if I was going to carry its weight for the rest of my life.

That’s when…

I got help!

I didn’t try to fight the battle alone. Besides praying, I was honest with the people who love me. I talked to my doctor and I went to a Christian counselor.

God often uses other people to help us carry our burdens.

So, if you’re starting to feel a sense of hopelessness in your sadness … please seek help.

One of the things I love about our Heavenly Father is that He doesn’t waste our pain.

Your feelings. This experience. And those God uses to help you may all be the very things He will use to help you help someone else.

I’m asking God to hold you close and comfort you with His blessings of comfort, strength, peace, and joy!

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