Psalms & prayers for anxious and hard moments

“How long, O LORD, wilt Thou forget me for ever? How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?” (Psalm 13:2, JPS 1917)

Only a few verses later, the same psalm says: “But as for me, in Thy mercy do I trust; My heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.” (Psalm 13:6, JPS 1917)

A meta-analysis of 49 studies found that positive religious coping, such as seeking comfort and strength from God, was linked with better adjustment to stress. Negative religious coping, such as feeling punished or abandoned by God, was linked with more distress.

So if prayer leaves you feeling judged or afraid, that is worth talking about with someone you trust. Faith and therapy can work together.

Relaxation techniques can bring on the relaxation response, which brings slower breathing, lower blood pressure and a reduced heart rate. Slow, deep breaths are one simple way in.

When you say a psalm slowly and pause between phrases, each breath out naturally gets a little longer.

“In the day that I am afraid, I will put my trust in Thee. In God—I will praise His word— In God do I trust, I will not be afraid; What can flesh do unto me?” (Psalm 56:4–5, JPS 1917)

Notice the order. The psalmist admits being afraid first, then chooses trust. Feeling afraid is not a failure of faith.

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth do change, And though the mountains be moved into the heart of the seas.” (Psalm 46:2–3, JPS 1917)

Later the psalm says: “Let be, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:11, JPS 1917) Many people hear “let be” as permission to stop fighting every thought and simply be still for a moment.

“If I say: ‘My foot slippeth’, Thy mercy, O LORD, holdeth me up. When my cares are many within me, Thy comforts delight my soul.” (Psalm 94:18–19, JPS 1917)

“When my cares are many within me” is a perfect description of racing thoughts. The psalm does not say the cares vanish. It says comfort can sit alongside them.

“The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do unto me?” (Psalm 118:6, JPS 1917)

“I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:5, JPS 1917)

Short verses like these are easy to say silently on a bus, in a waiting room or at your desk.

“He will cover thee with His pinions, And under His wings shalt thou take refuge; His truth is a shield and a buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flieth by day.” (Psalm 91:4–5, JPS 1917)

Psalm 91 is part of the traditional Bedtime Shema, so many people already know it as a night-time psalm (see “Psalms and prayers for anxious nights”).

“… Put Thou my tears into Thy bottle; Are they not in Thy book?” (Psalm 56:9, JPS 1917)

This picture is tender. Your tears are not wasted or ignored. They are gathered and remembered.

“I am weary with my groaning; Every night make I my bed to swim; I melt away my couch with my tears.” (Psalm 6:7, JPS 1917)

If you have cried yourself to sleep, the psalmist did too. Being worn out by sadness is very human.

“My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me, and art far from my help at the words of my cry?” (Psalm 22:2, JPS 1917)

Even this cry begins with “my God.” Feeling abandoned and still speaking to God is a kind of faith.

“Be gracious unto me, O LORD, for I am in distress; Mine eye wasteth away with vexation, yea, my soul and my body.” (Psalm 31:10, JPS 1917)

The psalmist feels distress in both soul and body. Grief can bring tiredness, aches and poor sleep. Gentle care for your body is part of healing.

“My flesh and my heart faileth; But God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever.” (Psalm 73:26, JPS 1917)

You do not have to be strong all the time. This verse lets you lean on something steadier than your own energy.

“LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; Neither do I exercise myself in things too great, or in things too wonderful for me. Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child with his mother; My soul is with me like a weaned child.” (Psalm 131:1–2, JPS 1917)

Worry often tries to solve “things too great” for us. This short psalm gives you permission to set them down and rest.

“Only for God doth my soul wait in stillness; From Him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My high tower, I shall not be greatly moved.” (Psalm 62:2–3, JPS 1917)

Later the psalmist speaks to their own soul: “Only for God wait thou in stillness, my soul; For from Him cometh my hope.” (Psalm 62:6, JPS 1917)

“Return, O my soul, unto Thy rest; For the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.” (Psalm 116:7, JPS 1917)

This verse is a gentle invitation you can say to yourself after a hard day, as if calling your mind home.

“Resign thyself unto the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself …” (Psalm 37:7, JPS 1917)

“Fret not thyself” is an old phrase with a modern feel. Fretting is going over the same worry again and again. Noticing it is the first step to letting it go.

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of the tumultuous pit, out of the miry clay; and He set my feet upon a rock, He established my goings.” (Psalm 40:2–3, JPS 1917)

“Miry clay” is a good picture of depression: every step feels heavy and stuck. The psalm remembers being lifted out, often slowly, after waiting.

“If I had not believed to look upon the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living!— Wait on the LORD; Be strong, and let thy heart take courage; Yea, wait thou for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:13–14, JPS 1917)

“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All ye that wait for the LORD.” (Psalm 31:25, JPS 1917)

The ending of Psalm 27 is a reminder that waiting and courage go together. You can be strong and still be waiting for things to change.

“Thou, who hast made me to see many and sore troubles, Wilt quicken me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth.” (Psalm 71:20, JPS 1917)

“Quicken” means to bring back to life. If you feel numb or flat, this verse holds out the hope of feeling alive again.

“If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; If I make my bed in the nether-world, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there would Thy hand lead me, And Thy right hand would hold me.” (Psalm 139:8–10, JPS 1917)

However low you feel, this psalm says you have not gone beyond reach.

“I will give thanks unto Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Psalm 139:14, JPS 1917)

“He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me.” (Psalm 18:20, JPS 1917)

When shame or self-criticism are loud, these verses offer a kinder voice.

“I give thanks to You living and everlasting King for You have restored my soul with mercy. Great is Your faithfulness.” (Modeh Ani, Siddur Ashkenaz, Metsudah-based translation)

On anxious mornings, starting with one line of thanks can shift your focus before worries rush in. Jewish practices for hard times has more on daily prayer.

“My God! the soul which You bestowed in me is pure; You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me and You preserve it within me.” (Elokai Neshama, Siddur Ashkenaz, Metsudah-based translation)

Said every morning, this prayer starts the day by saying your soul is pure. That can be a strong answer to harsh self-talk.

“Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved; For Thou art my praise.” (Jeremiah 17:14, JPS 1917)

The weekday Amidah turns these words into a prayer for everyone: “Heal us, Adonoy, and we will be healed, deliver us and we will be delivered; for You are our praise.” It includes a place to name someone who is ill and ask for “healing for the soul, and healing for the body.”

“And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying: ‘Heal her now, O God, I beseech Thee.’” (Numbers 12:13, JPS 1917)

In Hebrew this prayer is only five short words. It shows that a prayer does not need to be long to be heartfelt.

“In the day of my trouble I call upon Thee; For Thou wilt answer me.” (Psalm 86:7, JPS 1917)

“With my voice I cry unto the LORD; With my voice I make supplication unto the LORD. I pour out my complaint before Him, I declare before Him my trouble.” (Psalm 142:2–3, JPS 1917)

“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee; The LORD make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Numbers 6:24–26, JPS 1917)

You can say these words for yourself, or quietly over someone you are worried about.

The Bedtime Shema asks God “to make me lie down in peace, and to raise me (again) to peace. Let my thoughts not terrify me— nor evil dreams or evil fancies (disturb me) …” (Bedtime Shema, Metsudah-based translation)

It is striking that a prayer written long ago asks for exactly what an anxious mind needs: thoughts that do not frighten.

It opens: “I hereby forgive anyone who has angered me, or sinned against me …” (Bedtime Shema, Metsudah-based translation)

Going over hurts can keep you awake. Saying this does not mean what happened was okay. It can simply mean you are setting it down for tonight.

“Adonoy, our God, make us lie down in peace; our King, raise us [again] to life. Spread over us the shelter of Your peace …” (Hashkiveinu, in the Bedtime Shema, Metsudah-based translation)

Some people picture a sukkah of peace spread over their bed as they say it.

“In the Name of Adonoy, God of Israel: at my right [hand] Michael, at my left [hand] Gabriel, before me Uriel, behind me Raphael, and above my head, the Presence of Almighty.” (Bedtime Shema, Metsudah-based translation)

This prayer works a little like a calming picture exercise. You imagine yourself held on every side.

The Bedtime Shema ends with Adon Olam: “Into His hand I entrust my spirit [both] when I sleep and when I awaken. And with my spirit my body [too], Adonoy is with me, I shall not fear.” (Metsudah-based translation)

“In peace will I both lay me down and sleep; for Thou, LORD, makest me dwell alone in safety.” (Psalm 4:9, JPS 1917)

“I lay me down, and I sleep; I awake, for the LORD sustaineth me.” (Psalm 3:6, JPS 1917) And: “Into Thy hand I commit my spirit.” (Psalm 31:6, JPS 1917)

Try it

1. Sit or lie down and drop your shoulders.
2. Breathe in slowly through your nose.
3. Breathe out while you silently say half a verse, like “Only for God doth my soul wait in stillness.”
4. Let the out-breath be a little longer than the in-breath.
5. Repeat 5 to 10 times.

Slow, deep breathing can help bring on the relaxation response.

Try it

1. Pick one verse from this guide.
2. Write it out slowly by hand, in Hebrew, English or both.
3. Notice the feel of the pen and the shape of each letter.
4. Underline the one word that speaks to you most.
5. Keep the card in your wallet, on your mirror or by your bed.

Journaling can help you manage anxiety, reduce stress and cope with depression. Writing a lament gives that journaling a shape that comes straight from Tehillim.

Try it

1. Name what hurts, as honestly as Psalm 13 does: “How long…?”
2. Say what you need: “Be gracious unto me…”
3. Remember a time help came, even a small one.
4. End with one line of trust or hope, even if it feels shaky.

Try it

1. First time: say the verse slowly, just hearing the words.
2. Second time: think about what it means for you today.
3. Third time: say it as a prayer, speaking directly to God.
4. Pause and notice how you feel.

Try it

1. Say Psalm 139:14 once, slowly.
2. Notice your feet on the floor and say “wonderfully made.”
3. Notice your hands, your breath and your heartbeat, one at a time.
4. Where you feel tension, breathe out slowly and let it soften a little.
5. End by naming one thing your body did for you today.

Focusing on your senses and your body in the here and now is a core part of grounding.

Some communities divide the Book of Psalms among members so that the whole book is read each day, dedicated to someone’s healing, strength or comfort.

If you are struggling, you can ask your rabbi, a friend or a group to say Tehillim for you. You decide how much to share.

From Sunday through Shabbat, the daily prayers include Psalms 24, 48, 82, 94–95, 81, 93 and 92.

Wednesday’s psalm includes “When my cares are many within me, Thy comforts delight my soul” (94:19). A daily psalm can become a small, steady habit.

Traditional suggestions

• For recovery from illness: Psalms 6, 30, 41, 88 and 103
• For times of communal distress: Psalms 20, 28, 85, 86, 102, 130 and 142
• Rebbe Nachman of Breslov’s ten psalms for healing: 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137 and 150

Psalm 20 begins: “The LORD answer thee in the day of trouble.” (Psalm 20:2, JPS 1917) It is a psalm said on behalf of someone else.

Many people say Tehillim in Hebrew, others in English or another language, and many use a book or app with both side by side. Choose what helps you connect with the meaning.

If you cannot read at all right now, for example during illness, listening to someone else, or holding one remembered line, still counts.

Ideas

• Ask if they would like a psalm said for them, and respect their answer.
• Offer to say Tehillim with them, or sit quietly while they do.
• Pair prayer with practical help, like a meal, a lift or a phone call.
• Send one verse with a short message, with no pressure to reply.

U.S. crisis lines

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org
• Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741
• Emergency: call 911 if a life is in danger

Pikuach nefesh, saving a life, comes before almost any other commandment, including Shabbat. Calling for help is part of Jewish tradition.

Jewish faith & mental health lists Jewish mental health organizations and explains how to find Jewish-sensitive care. A Jewish Family Service, your rabbi, or a hospital or campus chaplain can also help you find support.

When faith and therapy meet explains how to bring your faith into therapy.

Find A Helpline (findahelpline.com) is a free directory of checked crisis lines in many countries. You can search by country and by what you need.