When you are unjustly criticized
Psalm 3

^1. O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
^2. Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him."
^3. But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
^4. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.
^5. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
^6. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.
^7. Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
^8. From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.

When you need God's guidance
Psalm 5

^1. Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing.
^2. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
^3. In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
^4. You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.
^5. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.
^6. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.
^7. But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.
^8. Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies-- make straight your way before me.
^9. Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.
^10. Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
^11. But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
^12. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

When you are lonely
Psalm 23

^1. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
^2. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
^3. he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
^4. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
^5. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
^6. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

When journalists are in a dangerous mission
Psalm 30

^1. I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
^2. O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
^3. O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.
^4. Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
^5. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
^6. When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."
^7. O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.
^8. To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:
^9. "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
^10. Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help."
^11. You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
^12. that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

When you need God's forgiveness
Psalm 32

^1. Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
^2. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.
^3. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
^4. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
^5. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
^6. Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.
^7. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
^8. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
^9. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
^10. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.
^11. Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

When you are worried
Psalm 37

^1. Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;
^2. for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
^3. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
^4. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
^5. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
^6. He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
^7. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
^8. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil.
^9. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
^10. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
^11. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
^12. The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;
^13. but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.
^14. The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
^15. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
^16. Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;
^17. for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
^18. The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever.
^19. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
^20. But the wicked will perish: The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish--vanish like smoke.
^21. The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;
^22. those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off.
^23. If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;
^24. though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
^25. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
^26. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.
^27. Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.
^28. For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
^29. the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
^30. The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.
^31. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.
^32. The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives;
^33. but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
^34. Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
^35. I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
^36. but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.
^37. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.
^38. But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
^39. The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
^40. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

When you are ill
Psalm 38

^1. O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.
^2. For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me.
^3. Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
^4. My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.
^5. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.
^6. I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning.
^7. My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body.
^8. I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.
^9. All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.
^10. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.
^11. My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away.
^12. Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception.
^13. I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth;
^14. I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply.
^15. I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God.
^16. For I said, "Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips."
^17. For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me.
^18. I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.
^19. Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous.
^20. Those who repay my good with evil slander me when I pursue what is good.
^21. O LORD, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God.
^22. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.

When you are sad
Psalm 43

^1. Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.
^2. You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?
^3. Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.
^4. Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
^5. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Before you go to confession
Psalm 51

^1. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
^2. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
^3. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
^4. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
^5. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
^6. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
^7. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
^8. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
^9. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
^10. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
^11. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
^12. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
^13. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
^14. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
^15. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
^16. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
^17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
^18. In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
^19. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

When you are depressed
Psalm 57

^1. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
^2. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills [his purpose] for me.
^3. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; God sends his love and his faithfulness.
^4. I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts-- men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
^5. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.
^6. They spread a net for my feet-- I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path-- but they have fallen into it themselves.
^7. My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.
^8. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
^9. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.
^10. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
^11. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

When you need God's protection
Psalm 61

^1. Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
^2. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
^3. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.
^4. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
^5. For you have heard my vows, O God; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
^6. Increase the days of the king's life, his years for many generations.
^7. May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.
^8. Then will I ever sing praise to your name and fulfill my vows day after day.

When you need strength
Psalm 62

^1. My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
^2. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
^3. How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down-- this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
^4. They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.
^5. Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
^6. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
^7. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
^8. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
^9. Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.
^10. Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
^11. One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong,
^12. and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

When you need money
Psalm 72

^1. Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.
^2. He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.
^3. The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.
^4. He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor.
^5. He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations.
^6. He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.
^7. In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.
^8. He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
^9. The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust.
^10. The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts.
^11. All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.
^12. For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.
^13. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.
^14. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.
^15. Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.
^16. Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field.
^17. May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.
^18. Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
^19. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.
^20. This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

When you are deeply troubled
Psalm 77

^1. I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.
^2. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted.
^3. I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint.
^4. You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak.
^5. I thought about the former days, the years of long ago;
^6. I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired:
^7. "Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?
^8. Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?
^9. Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"
^10. Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High."
^11. I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
^12. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
^13. Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?
^14. You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.
^15. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
^16. The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed.
^17. The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth.
^18. Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.
^19. Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.
^20. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

When you wonder about life's meaning
Psalm 90

^1. Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
^2. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
^3. You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men."
^4. For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.
^5. You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning--
^6. though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered.
^7. We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation.
^8. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
^9. All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.
^10. The length of our days is seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
^11. Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.
^12. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
^13. Relent, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants.
^14. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
^15. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.
^16. May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children.
^17. May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us-- yes, establish the work of our hands.

If you are tempted to disobey God
Psalm 95

^1. Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
^2. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
^3. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.
^4. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
^5. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
^6. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
^7. for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,
^8. do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert,
^9. where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.
^10. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways."
^11. So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest."

When you need God's mercy
Psalm 103

^1. Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
^2. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--
^3. who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
^4. who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
^5. who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
^6. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
^7. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
^8. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
^9. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
^10. he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
^11. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
^12. as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
^13. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
^14. for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
^15. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;
^16. the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
^17. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children--
^18. with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
^19. The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
^20. Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.
^21. Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.
^22. Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

When you have opportunity to serve God
Psalm 112

^1. Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.
^2. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
^3. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
^4. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
^5. Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.
^6. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.
^7. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
^8. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
^9. He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.
^10. The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

When you contemplate marriage
Psalm 127

^1. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
^2. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat-- for he grants sleep to those he loves.
^3. Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.
^4. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.
^5. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

If you want to complain to God
Psalm 142

^1. I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.
^2. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble.
^3. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me.
^4. Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.
^5. I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."
^6. Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.
^7. Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.

When you need God's guidance
Psalm 143

^1. O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.
^2. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.
^3. The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead.
^4. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.
^5. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.
^6. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.
^7. Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
^8. 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 lift up my soul.
^9. Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you.
^10. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
^11. For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
^12. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.

When you want to give praise to God
Psalm 150

^1. Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
^2. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
^3. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
^4. praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,
^5. praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
^6. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.