The Bible’s Psalms eloquently express the reality of hope in all circumstances. As we’re going through life’s storms, we can turn to the Psalms for powerful words that draw us closer to God, our source of hope. Psalms verses speak to the full range of human experiences and emotions – and how God is with us through it all. Here are 30 Psalms verses that speak hope in the storms of life.
What Do We Know about the Psalms?
Each of the Psalms were written as poems that were set to music, becoming songs to worship God. The word psalms means “songs” and usually refers to a sacred songs. While today, we often read the Psalms rather than sing them, believers in biblical times sung the Psalms. We regularly use the Psalms today in our private devotional times with God. But early believers used the Psalms primarily in their public worship services.
The Psalms were written by various authors who were inspired by the Holy Spirit as they wrote. King David wrote many of the Psalms – more than 70 Psalms are attributed to him, and Bible scholars think it’s possible that David wrote many unattributed Psalms, as well. Other authors who contributed to the Psalms include Moses, King Solomon, Ethan, Heman, Asaph, and the sons of a man named Korah.
Overall, the Bible features 150 Psalms, which are divided into 5 different books. They vary greatly in the emotions they express – from joyful celebration to sorrowful lament – yet they all point to the hope that God offers, and they all worship God. Sometimes scholars classify the Psalms into these different categories:
Psalms of praise: These focus purely on praising God for who he is and what he does. Psalms of praise celebrate God’s goodness and call us to worship him. Sometimes psalms of praise are known as hymns, which simply means worship songs. Examples of Psalms of praise include Psalm 9, Psalm 29, and Psalm 48.
Psalms of lament: These express pain during challenging circumstances. Psalms of lament honestly describe sorrow, anger, anxiety, grief, and other difficult emotions that are part of living in a fallen world. They are cries for help from God. Examples of Psalms of lament include Psalm 3, Psalm 6, and Psalm 31.
Psalms of thanksgiving: These offer gratitude to God for the blessings he pours into our lives. Psalms of thanksgiving honor answered prayers and thank God for his generosity. Examples of Psalms of thanksgiving include Psalm 16, Psalm 18, and Psalm 40.
Psalms of confidence: These express confident faith in God. Psalms of confidence describe trusting God to meet our needs. Examples of Psalms of confidence include Psalm 11, Psalm 23, and Psalm 27.
Psalms of kingship: These focus on a king, either by describing a human king’s relationship to God, or exalting God as the ultimate king who rules over all of creation. Examples of Psalms of kingship include Psalm 2, Psalm 20, and Psalm 50.
Psalms of remembrance: These describe the history of God’s redemptive work for people, reminding readers of the good that God has done in the past and encouraging them to place their trust in God. Examples of Psalms of remembrance include Psalms 78, 105, and 106.
Psalms of wisdom: These instruct readers on how to live wisely. They describe what faith in action looks like in our relationships with God, who is the ultimate source of wisdom. Examples of Psalms of wisdom include Psalm 1, Psalm 49, and Psalm 119.
The eloquent language in the Psalms gives us powerful words we can use when communicating with God to express our emotions in any type of situation. When we’re going through trouble in our fallen world, we can cry out to God for help, following examples of doing so in the Psalms. When we’re experiencing good times and celebrating blessings, we can rejoice in ways that the Psalms model for us. The Psalms remind us that God is always with us in life’s hills and valleys. Using the Psalms, we can express our praise for the God of hope who constantly meets our needs.
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30 Favorite Psalms Verses That Speak Hope into Our Lives
Hope is a theme that runs throughout the Psalms, despite their different focuses. Here are 30 favorite psalms verses that speak hope in our lives:
Psalm 31:24: “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”
Psalm 33:22: “May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you.”
Psalm 62:5-6: “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.”
Psalm 25:21: “May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you.”
Psalm 9:18: “But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.”
Psalm 25:5: “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
Psalm 33:18: “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,”
Psalm 37:30: “Hope in the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.”
Psalm 39:7: “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.”
Psalm 42:5 and Psalm 43:5: “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.”
Psalm 52:9: “For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good.”
Psalm 65:5: “You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,”
Psalm 71:5: “For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.”
Psalm 71:14: “As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.”
Psalm 119:43: “Never take your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws.”
Psalm 119:49: “Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.”
Psalm 119:74: “May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.”
Psalm 119:81: “My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.”
Psalm 119:114: “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”
Psalm 119:147: “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.”
Psalm 121:1-2: “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.”
Psalm 130:5: “I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his Word I put my hope.”
Psalm 130:7: “Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.”
Psalm 131:3: “Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.”
Psalm 34:17-19: “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;”
Psalm 146:5: “Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God.”
Psalm 147:11: “the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
Psalm 33:20: “We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.”
Psalm 37:3-6: “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.”
Psalm 27:13-14: “I remain confident of 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.”
3 Ways to Incorporate the Psalms in Our Daily Lives
The Psalms can be quite helpful as we walk with God from day to day. Here are 3 ways to incorporate the Psalms into our daily lives:
1. Encouragement for honestly expressing our emotions: Throughout the Psalms, we see every type of human emotion we may experience in our own lives – from jubilant joy that is easy to express, to negative emotions like deep sorrow that can sometimes seem difficult to express. The Psalms don’t hold back expressing emotions, but instead describe the intensity of emotional highs and lows. By reading the Psalms, we can see that it’s healthy to discuss all of our emotions when we communicate with God. Well-being research in my book Wake Up to Wonder shows that fully expressing our emotions in prayer can lead to significant benefits for both our spiritual and physical health.
2. Guidance for how to hold onto hope: The Psalms give us valuable examples of how to hold onto hope in all circumstances. Even the Psalms of lament ultimately point to the reality of the hope that God offers us. We can use the Psalms to remind of us that hope any time we need a fresh reminder. In prayer, we can speak Psalms verses over our lives and ask God to guide us toward next steps in any situation.
3. Inspiration for worship: The inspiring words in Psalms verses are like love letters to God. As we read the Psalms, we can let those words motivate us to worship the God who loves us completely and unconditionally. The Psalms point to the reality that we’re never alone, but always in the care of our heavenly Father who wants us to connect with him. Just as the Psalms were originally used for worship, we can use them in our worship – in our prayers, in our worship services, and in any other ways we’re moved to praise God.
Conclusion
The Psalms express the full range of emotions that humanity experiences. Psalms verses feature eloquent language that can encourage us with hope, whether we’re reading them, meditating on them, or incorporating them into our prayers. We can incorporate the Psalms into our daily lives for spiritual strength in the storms of life.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Priscilla-du-preez
Whitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com, on Facebook, and on X/Twitter.