I have been reading through and praying through the Psalms for the past week, maybe a bit longer than a week, and it has been so refreshing and rejuvenating.

Today in my reading, I read the “Psalm of the day” which is the date of the month, today is the 4th of September. So I read Psalm 4, then I add 30 to each Psalm # for the others for today, and in a month or two I would have read through and prayed through all the Psalms. Some I don’t get to all five in the same day, so I would start at where I left off next month. So today was Psalm 4, Psalm 34, Psalm 64, Psalm 94 and Psalm 124.

The verse that caught me today as I was reading/praying was Psalm 94:19:

When I am filled with cares,
your comfort brings me joy.

PSALM 94:19 (CSB)

Right after I read this verse, my heart was struck, by God’s caring heart towards me. That when I am filled with all kinds of thoughts, concerns, worries, anxiety, he is right there with me, offering His comfort. I can lay down those cares at his feet because He’s got this.

Immediately, it makes me think of 1 Peter 5:6-7:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷ casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (CSB)

This verse comes right before a statement about the enemy. …Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). Our cares are real. They are not inconsequential. But they are not our to try to carry. They are not something we need to hang onto or try to fix or control. We need to bring those cares before the Lord and pray over them and ask for God to take care of those for us.

As I have been reading/praying through the Psalms, going through maybe 30-40 Psalms in a week or so, I have come to think of David (or the Psalmist in some instances) almost like a coach or mentor, or even kind of like a pastor. King David is arguably the greatest king who ever lived in history. He has been through some stuff. From being disregarded or underestimated as a child and young shepherd, to being hunted by a king as a teenager/young adult, and ultimately, to being raised up as the King of Israel, God’s chosen people. All of that stuff he endured and struggled through was heavy, but consistently, he relied on the Lord to help him. He sought God’s help and his deliverance when enemies were trying to kill him.

Many of the Psalms, while they can come across as cries out to God or songs of rejoicing or sorrow, they also have an attitude of leading, directing, and guiding those they are addressed to. Like he is urging us on to overcome and to persist and to press in with God. They are deeply personal but are also universal.

Because of the way they are written and the vast array of life and topics they can encompass, the Psalms are a great way to help you process so many things in this life. From relationship issues, to fears and worries, even personal attacks, they can help you move through life with a new vocabulary and way of interacting with the Lord that enhances both our understanding of God and our situation that truly provides the comfort that God wants to bring us in the midst of any circumstance.

I recommend reading and praying the Psalms for anyone needing comfort and needing a rejuvenated prayer life and relationship with God. The words written millennia ago still are as relevant today as they were for David and the Israelites.