As the deer longs for streams of water, 

    so I long for you, O God.

I thirst for God, the living God.

    When can I go and stand before him?

Why am I discouraged?

    Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

    I will praise him again—

    my Savior and my God!

   Psalm 42:1-2, 11.

Pray for:

● Pray that your soul may thirst for God

● Resolve to seek the Lord and praise Him in times of mourning or despair.

Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! 

    The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.

The Lord protects them

    and keeps them alive.

He gives them prosperity in the land

    and rescues them from their enemies.

The Lord nurses them when they are sick

    and restores them to health.

 “O Lord,” I prayed, “have mercy on me.

    Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

   Psalm 41:1-4.

Pray for:

● Have you neglected any good works?

● Opportunity to be kind

● Remember that God blesses those who obey Him

● Seek forgiveness for sins of omission

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. 

    Remind me that my days are numbered—

    how fleeting my life is.

You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.

    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;

    at best, each of us is but a breath.”

We are merely moving shadows,

    and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.

We heap up wealth,

    not knowing who will spend it.

And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?

    My only hope is in you.

   Psalm 39:4-7.

Pray for:

● Renew your resolve to live each day fully for the Lord

● Hope in the Lord for forgiveness and renewing grace

Don’t worry about the wicked 

    or envy those who do wrong.

Trust in the Lord and do good.

    Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Take delight in the Lord,

    and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Commit everything you do to the Lord.

    Trust him, and he will help you.

Be still in the presence of the Lord,

    and wait patiently for him to act.

   Psalm 37:1, 3-5, 7

Pray for:

● Power to not be anxious over the wicked

● Trust in the Lord and rest in Him

● Wait on the Lord, and rest in His strength and salvation

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; 

    your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,

    your justice like the ocean depths.

You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.

    How precious is your unfailing love, O God!

All humanity finds shelter

    in the shadow of your wings.

You feed them from the abundance of your own house,

    letting them drink from your river of delights.

For you are the fountain of life,

    the light by which we see.

   Psalm 36:5-9.

Pray for:

● Thank Him for His providence

● Celebrate and seek the goodness of the Lord

With every bone in my body I will praise him: 

    “Lord, who can compare with you?

Who else rescues the helpless from the strong?

    Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?”

   Psalm 35:10.

Pray for:

● Rejoice in the Lord’s deliverance

● Praise Him for protection

Oh, what joy for those 

    whose disobedience is forgiven,

    whose sin is put out of sight!

Yes, what joy for those

    whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,[b]

    whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

When I refused to confess my sin,

    my body wasted away,

    and I groaned all day long.

Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.

    My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you

    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.

I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”

    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

   Psalm 32:1-5.

Pray for:

● Praise God for forgiving grace

● Acknowledge the convicting power of God’s Spirit and confess your sins

I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. 

    You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,

    and you restored my health.

For his anger lasts only a moment,

    but his favor lasts a lifetime!

Weeping may last through the night,

    but joy comes with the morning.

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

    You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.

    O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

   Psalm 30:1-2, 5, 11-12.

Pray for:

● Praise God for His healing grace

● Give praise and thanks to God for His renewing grace

The Lord is my light and my salvation— 

    so why should I be afraid?

The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,

    so why should I tremble?

The one thing I ask of the Lord—

    the thing I seek most—

is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

    delighting in the Lord’s perfections

    and meditating in his Temple.

For he will conceal me there when troubles come;

    he will hide me in his sanctuary.

    He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

Do not turn your back on me.

    Do not reject your servant in anger.

    You have always been my helper.

Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,

    O God of my salvation!

Even if my father and mother abandon me,

    the Lord will hold me close.

Teach me how to live, O Lord.

    Lead me along the right path…

Wait patiently for the Lord.

    Be brave and courageous.

    Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

   Psalm 27:1, 4-5, 9-11, 14.

Pray for:

● Express your confidence in the Lord

● Seek the presence and protection of the Lord

● Seek the Lord’s will and His goodness

● Resolve to patiently wait on Him

O Lord, I give my life to you. 

    I trust in you, my God!

Do not let me be disgraced,

    or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.

No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,

    but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

Show me the right path, O Lord;

    point out the road for me to follow.

Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.

    Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,

    for you are merciful, O Lord.

   Psalm 25:1-4, 7.

Pray for:

● Declare your confidence in God in the face of enemies

● Seek God’s counsel, kindness, and mercy in your time of need

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! 

    Your glory is higher than the heavens.

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—

    the moon and the stars you set in place—

what are mere mortals that you should think about them,

    human beings that you should care for them?

Yet you made them only a little lower than God

    and crowned them with glory and honor.

You gave them charge of everything you made,

    putting all things under their authority…

   Psalm 8:1, 3-6.

Pray for:

● Praise the excellence of God’s name, revealed in creation

● Praise God for His grace in creating you and giving you dominion

O Lord, hear me as I pray; 

    pay attention to my groaning.

Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,

    for I pray to no one but you.

Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.

    Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

Lead me in the right path, O Lord,

    or my enemies will conquer me.

Make your way plain for me to follow.

   Psalm 5:1-3, 8.

Pray for:

● Cry to God to hear your prayer

● Guidance to walk the right path

● Thank God for His mercy, worship Him, and seek His righteousness

Answer me when I call to you, 

    O God who declares me innocent.

Free me from my troubles.

    Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

You can be sure of this:

    The Lord set apart the godly for himself.

    The Lord will answer when I call to him.

Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”

    Let your face smile on us, Lord.

You have given me greater joy

    than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.

In peace I will lie down and sleep,

    for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

   Psalm 4:1, 3, 6-8.

Pray for:

● Seek the mercy of God in the face of adversity

● Seek the renewing grace of God, and rest in Him

● Perseverance to see better times

Reminder of how to pray the Psalms

START by praying this short prayer:

Dear God, please guide me as I open your Word this morning. Thank you. Amen.

READ a passage of today’s Psalm through twice. Let the Holy Spirit talk to you.

Then go through the passage again for the third time, this time one verse at the time, and pause. There will be words/phrases that will jump out of the verse and inspire or impress you.

PRAY by using these words and phrases, personalise them in terms of your own experience of God. Follow the above process for each of the next verses.

CLOSE with a prayer:

Dear Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit today and let me be guided by You. Amen.

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; 

    you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.

I cried out to the Lord,

    and he answered me from his holy mountain.

I lay down and slept,

    yet I woke up in safety,

    for the Lord was watching over me.

I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies

    who surround me on every side.

Arise, O Lord!

    Rescue me, my God!

Slap all my enemies in the face!

    Shatter the teeth of the wicked!

Victory comes from you, O Lord.

    May you bless your people.

   Psalm 3:3-8.

Pray for:

• Declare your confidence in God’s help

• Call upon the Lord, who defeats all our enemies, for deliverance

• Protection of your family

• Praise the Lord for His saving mercy

Reminder of how to pray the Psalms

START by praying this short prayer:

Dear God, please guide me as I open your Word this morning. Thank you. Amen.

READ a passage of today’s Psalm through twice. Let the Holy Spirit talk to you.

Then go through the passage again for the third time, this time one verse at the time, and pause. There will be words/phrases that will jump out of the verse and inspire or impress you.

PRAY by using these words and phrases, personalise them in terms of your own experience of God. Follow the above process for each of the next verses.

CLOSE with a prayer:

Dear Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit today and let me be guided by You. Amen.

Oh, the joys of those who do not

    follow the advice of the wicked,

    or stand around with sinners,

    or join in with mockers.

But they delight in the law of the Lord,

    meditating on it day and night.

They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

    bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither,

 and they prosper in all they do.

   Psalm 1:1-3.

Pray for:

● Seek grace and help to live a life of purity

● Pray for your lost friends

● Praise the Lord for His supreme power and authority

Reminder of how to pray the Psalms

START by praying this short prayer:

Dear God, please guide me as I open your Word this morning. Thank you. Amen.

READ a passage of today’s Psalm through twice. Let the Holy Spirit talk to you.

Then go through the passage again for the third time, this time one verse at the time, and pause. There will be words/phrases that will jump out of the verse and inspire or impress you.

PRAY by using these words and phrases, personalise them in terms of your own experience of God. Follow the above process for each of the next verses.

CLOSE with a prayer:

Dear Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit today and let me be guided by You. Amen.

We invite you to join our church community each day with a morning devotional from the book of Psalms. We encourage you to take time to read the passage and use it as your morning prayer.

How to pray the Psalms

START by praying this short prayer:

Dear God, please guide me as I open your Word this morning. Thank you. Amen.

READ a passage of today’s Psalm through twice. Let the Holy Spirit talk to you.

Then go through the passage again for the third time, this time one verse at the time, and pause. There will be words/phrases that will jump out of the verse and inspire or impress you.

PRAY by using these words and phrases, personalise them in terms of your own experience of God. Follow the above process for each of the next verses.

CLOSE with a prayer:

Dear Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit today and let me be guided by You. Amen.