The middle of the Bible is probably some of my favorite portions of Scripture…including both the books of Psalms and Isaiah.
The Psalms have been my best source of encouragement through depression.
Through the Psalms, God has calmed my desperate thoughts.
God has instilled in me a love for His Word.
God has shown me the power of His love.
God has showered me with His grace.
The Psalms show me the humanity of one of my favorite Bible characters: David.
The Psalms give me the very words of God, through His writers, to pray back to Him!
I mean, how can you read and meditate on these verses and not be encouraged??
“But you are a shield around me, O Lord;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head!” Psalm 3:3
“The Lrod is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:9-10
“Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup,
you have made my lot secure…
I will praise the Lord who counsels me,
even at night my heart instructs me.” Psalm 16:5, 7
“As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord is flawless.
He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” Psalm 18:30
“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?” Psalm 27:1
“I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cray.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.” Psalm 40:1-3
“God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
“Find rest o my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 62:5-6
“He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
in the end he will look in triumph over his foes.” Psalm 112:7-8
Psalm 121
“The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.” Psalm 145:18
And these are some Psalms that I have prayed many times before:
“Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing.
Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to You I pray.
In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before You
and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:1-3
“I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:1-2
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight, O Lord,
my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
“Show me your ways, O Lord,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5
“Test me, O Lord, and try me;
examine my heart and my mind.” Psalm 26:2
“As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.” Psalm 42:1
Psalm 51 for cleansing and repentance.
“O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1
“Teach me your way, O Lord,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.” Psalm 86:11
All of Psalm 91. 🙂
Many passages from Psalm 119:
“Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees.” 119:5
“I seek you with all my heart, do not let me stray from your commands.” 119:110
“I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” 119:15-16
“Strengthen me according to your word.” 119:28
“Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.” 119:35
“Turn my eyes away from worthless things…” 119:37
“You are my portion, O Lord…” 119:57
Psalm 130
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24
“Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil.” Psalm 141:3-4
I want to leave you with one last passage from Isaiah, may God’s Word be a source of encouragement to you this week, friends!!
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See I am doing a new thing!
Now is springs up, do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:18-19
Candace,
Thank you for taking the time to put all these verses here.
I am going to print it off and carry it with me all the time for encouragement and prayer.
God bless and keep you and your family in the palm of His hand.
Sara