11 Powerful Psalms for Healing
God is our ultimate Healer. We can run freely to Him with all of our needs and know He hears our prayers and understands our pain. Though we may not always experience complete and miraculous healing on this earth, sometimes we do! One of the most powerful books in the Bible that resonates with those seeking healing is the book of Psalms. The Psalms encompass a wide range of human emotions, from joy and gratitude to sorrow and despair. The Psalms help us to express our human suffering in prayer, many written by David, whose heart was after God’s very own. They give voice to our deepest feelings, allowing us to express our pain, anger, or confusion honestly.
And so, we should never stop believing God for healing and restoration in our lives. If we want to get well, we need to believe wholeheartedly in the Healer. Whether you are facing depression, anxiety, illness, grief, or any spiritual or physical storm in life, these Psalms for healing can be read to yourself or prayed out-loud. Allow the Psalms to speak peace and comfort into your situation and believe God for healing!
You can also pray these Psalms for healing over loved ones. The prayers of the faithful have the power to move the heart of God. We can not only storm the gates of heaven for our own healing but also on behalf of others, we also have the power to allow God’s healing to flow through us, onto others, when we are filled by the Holy Spirit!
Meditate, reflect, and pray over these Psalms for healing as you seek God's comfort and strength in your life.
1. Psalm 27
“The LORD is my light and salvation- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1
When my daughter wakes up in the middle of the night afraid, I welcome her to crawl in with me until she is at peace, feeling safe. Our Father in heaven has an angel army at His command to protect us. The NIV Study Bible explains, “The king’s security in the Lord in the face of all that his enemies can do.” When we are afraid, we need only take a moment to crawl into His presence prayerfully, and allow His healing and restoring power to comfort our hearts, and restore them once again to peace, and safety. Psalm 27 concludes:
“I remain confident in this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” (Psalm 27: 13-14)
2. Psalm 30
“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 30:11-12 NLT
Healing comes in different ways, in different seasons. Whether something has befallen us, such as an illness or injury- or we are the victim depression, anxiety, or mourning the loss of another or the waywardness of our sinful tendencies. “The Lord, in his favour, has fixed the believer’s safety firm as the deep-rooted mountains, but he must expect to meet with temptations and afflictions,” Matthew Henry’s Commentary explains. We can cry out to the Lord in every and all circumstances, trusting Him with our redemption and healing.
3. Psalm 41
“Have mercy on me, LORD; heal me, for I have sinned against you.” Psalm 41:4
David had enemies, and throughout this psalm, He cries out to God to protect, restore, and redeem him. When we are hurting and in need of healing at the hand of someone else, it’s important to deliver our hearts into the hands of God. When we forgive others, before they even apologize, our hearts begin to heal. The only one who can move and make a change in a human heart is God, Himself. Our creator can and does handle every heartbreak with compassionate care.
4. Psalm 91
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1 NIV
Dwelling in the Lord requires a relationship with Him. Through Christ, we are connected to our heavenly Father through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us! We are able to understand the way He communicates to us through His Word, and feel His presence palpably when we cry out to Him. “He reminds us to stay in His presence, for it’s a permeant place of living,” Debbie McDaniel writes, “His word says if we do that, we will ‘rest’ in the very ‘shadow of the Almighty.’” Psalm 91 reminds us of the healing and protective power of God.
5. Psalm 103
“Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like eagle’s.” Psalm 103:5 NIV
The morning of my daughter’s diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes, she saw an eagle fly past our back glass sliding door as I braided her hair over breakfast. It wasn’t typical to see an eagle there! Before we knew what the day would hold, God flew into our circumstances to remind us who He was and Whose we are. Psalm 103 reminds us of the renewed strength we have in Christ, to carry us through hard and difficult days which exhaust us body and soul.
6. Psalm 139
“You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.” Psalm 139:1
The Lord knows our hearts, completely. When there is something making us sick or stealing our joy, He is faithful to call our attention to it. Healing and renewal are readily available to us in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit is faithful to convict our hearts to confess the sin ailing us. “Nowhere (outside Job) does one find expressed such profound awareness of how awesome it is to ask God to examine not only one’s life but also one’s soul,” the NIV Study Bible explains. Life is hard, and the hurt and sickness of the world aren’t always our fault. But sometimes, we have a little bit more to do with our condition than we realize. God is faithful to expose anything blocking our connection to Him.
7. Psalm 147
“He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” Psalm 147:4-5
Scripture assures us, God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. It’s important for us to submit ourselves and our situations to Him, fully, rather than allowing them to run laps through our minds on the spin cycle. “God’s power is radically contrasted with human might,” the ESV Reformation Study Bible explains. The most powerful prayer we can conclude our need for healing and renewal with is, “In Jesus’ Name,” meaning, “By Your Will.” We want God’s will over our wants and wish lists. Even when we don’t see healing and renewal in the form we specifically prayed for, we can always trust God is at work, even when we can’t see or understand how.
8. Psalm 121
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Vs. 1-4)
When we are going through something hard or suffering, it can be difficult to know who to turn to. Thankfully, the Lord does not leave us alone; in fact, he provides the strength that we need to get through these times. The first part of this Psalm tells us exactly that. We don’t have to go through life alone. Jesus is right with us through it all. Call out to him when you need help.
9. Psalm 34
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Vs. 18)
Isn’t it comforting to know that we have someone to go to when we are at our worst? Not many will come near to someone who is broken and crushed, our God is different though, he moves closer. He is right in it with us; he does not leave. He comforts us, gives us space to grieve so we can heal, and helps us move forward. He wants to be part of everything that we go through, even if it is messy. There is nothing that he cannot handle.
10. Psalm 23
"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."
This Psalm, often referred to as the "Shepherd's Psalm," is cherished for its comforting imagery of God as a caring and protective shepherd who guides, comforts, and provides for His people. It's a source of solace and reassurance, reminding readers that even in the most challenging times (symbolized by "the valley of the shadow of death"), God is present, offering comfort and protection.
11. Psalm 42
"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?...Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." (Vs 1-2, 5)
This Psalm expresses the longing for God's presence and the soul's thirst for spiritual nourishment. It acknowledges the challenges and tears but encourages putting hope in God, who is the ultimate source of healing and salvation.
A Healing Prayer from Psalms
Father,
Praise You for healing and renewal. We rely on You, Father God, Creator, Sustainer, and Provider. Thank You for the Psalms, which remind us of Your character, and Your love and care for us. You protect us, God, in ways we don’t always see! So great is Your love for us, even when we doubt and deny You, You await us with open arms. Father we pray for complete healing over our lives, for the hurts we can feel and those we don’t know are suffocating the life out of us. You know what lies in the darkness. You shield us from the ongoing war in the spiritual realm. You call us Your own and claim us as family, through Christ Jesus. We pray Your will over our lives.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Nathan Dumlao
Originally published December 02, 2021.
