One thing we can count on: God hears us when we cry out to Him. No matter what we are going through, whether our suffering is because of our sin or through no fault of our own, God knows us and loves us, and He responds.
Sometimes God responds the way we wish. He answers our prayers in the way we desire, and life goes on. Other times, God says “no,” or the often-frustrating unclear answer, which typically means “wait.”
In past articles, I’ve offered verses from psalms 1-25 and 26-50 to help us seek comfort and peace, verses from psalms 51-75 to help us express the sorrow and suffering in our hearts that we might have trouble articulating, verses from psalms 76-100 on the immense relief we can find in acknowledging God as sovereign and pleading to Him for help, and verses from psalms 101-125 when life is downright terrifying and you’re desperate for assistance.
Here, I offer a collection of verses to pray from the last set of psalms, 126-150, when you are struggling to wait patiently for a difficult season to pass or for God to answer a prayer.
God Knows Me Intimately
The God of the Universe isn’t some generic deity, sitting high in the sky and gazing down at us superciliously as we trudge through life. He’s our heavenly Father, who created us and knows us perfectly. We know from Scripture that we have the opportunity for a personal relationship with God, who loves each one of us fiercely, completely, and intimately.
Consider these verses as you reflect upon this:
“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me” (Psalms 139:1-5).
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalms 139:13-14).
“The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them” (Psalms 145:17-19).
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 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” (Psalms 147:3-5).
I Cry Out to You
Therefore, because He knows us so completely and intimately, we can trust that when we speak to our Father God, He hears us and cares about what we are going through. He might not answer in the way we wish, but He hears and He always answers.
Consider these pleas for God’s ears to rest squarely upon us:
“Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy” (Psalms 130:1-2).
“I say to the Lord, ‘You are my God.’ Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy” (Psalms 140:6).
“I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble” (Psalms 142:1-2).
“Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life” (Psalms 143:7-8).
Grant Me Patience in the Waiting
As we wait for His response and His guidance, even as we suffer, it can be difficult to cultivate a grateful and patient heart. But this is exactly what we are to do.
Consider these psalms, which emphasize patience in the waiting:
“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning” (Psalms 130:5-6).
“But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content” (Psalms 131:2).
God Is Good
For, after all, we know that however God responds, whatever the outcome is, God will use it for His glory. And as we belong to Him, we will ultimately be OK. We might lose our human lives, but our souls will live forever in eternity with Him.
Therefore, reflect on these verses about God’s perfect, eternal goodness:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever” (Psalms 136:1).
“Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me” (Psalms 138:6-7).
“Lord, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them? They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow” (Psalms 144:3-4).
“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works” (Psalms 145:3-5).
“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made” (Psalms 145:8-9).
Praise God
And because He is so good, the appropriate and righteous response for us, His children, is to lift praise and thanks for His blessings and His power. Consider these verses:
“I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever” (Psalms 145:1-2).
“I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God” (Psalms 146:2-5).
“Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies” (Psalms 148:1-4).
“Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens” (Psalms 148:7-13).
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord” (Psalms 150:6).
Praying the psalms, reflecting on their lessons and often-poetic kernels of truth and wisdom, is one of the best things we can do when our hearts struggle to endure what we experience in this earthly life. I hope these verses above will be of some help to you.
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Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden. She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism. Her newest release is an Advent daily devotional for those seeking true closeness with God, which you can find at https://www.jessicabrodie.