32 guided prayers to cry to the Lord in our time of need

1. ANSWER ME

Ps 27:7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

Ps 102:2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline Your ear to me; In the day that I call, answer me speedily.

Ps 143:7 Answer me speedily, O LORD; My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.

David believed and said that God answered him.

Ps 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me.

Ps 118:5 I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.

Ps 138:3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.

God Himself says He will answer!

Ps 91:15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.

Jer. 33:3 Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

2. BLESS ME

Ps 67:1 God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us. Selah

Jabez asked God to bless him.

I Chron. 4:9 Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. Just two of many examples of God blessing: Job and Issac

Job 1:10 “Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

Gen. 26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him.

3. CLEANSE ME

Ps 19:12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.

Ps 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

4. COMFORT ME

Ps. 94:19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.

Ps 23:4 Yea, 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. DELIVER ME and DEFEND ME

Ps 6:4 Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!

Ps 59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Defend me from those who rise up against me.

Ps 59:2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, And save me from bloodthirsty men.

Ps. 18:19 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.

Ps 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

Ps 91:14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

6. EXAMINE ME

Ps 26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.

Lam. 3:40 Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD;

1 Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? ——unless indeed you are disqualified.

7. FORGIVE ME

Ps 25:18 Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins.

8. Do not be FAR from Me

Ps 22:11 Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help.

Ps 22:19 But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

Ps 35:22 This You have seen, O LORD; Do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me.

Ps 38:21 Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, be not far from me!

Ps 71:12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!

9. GUIDE ME

Ps 31:3 For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me.

Ps 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

Ps 48:14 For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even to death.

Ps 73:24 You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.

10. HEAR ME

Ps 4:1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

Ps 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death;

Ps 30:10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me; LORD, be my helper!”

Ps 55:2 Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,

Ps 3:4 I cried to the LORD with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

Ps 66:19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

11. HEAL ME

Ps 6:2 Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

Ps 30:2 O LORD my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.

PS. 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.

12. HELP ME

Ps 38:22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

Ps 40:13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me!

Ps 59:4 They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine. Awake to help me, and behold!

Ps 70:1 Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O LORD!

Ps 109:26 Help me, O LORD my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy,

Ps 119:86 All Your commandments are faithful; They persecute me wrongfully; Help me!

13. HIDE ME

Ps 17:8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,

Ps 27:5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

14. INCLINE TO ME

Ps 17:6 I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.

Ps 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.

15. JUDGE ME

Ps 7:8 The LORD shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me.

16. KEEP ME

Ps 17:8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,

Ps 140:4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from violent men, Who have purposed to make my steps stumble.

17. LEAD ME

Ps 5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face.

Ps 25:5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

Ps 61:2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

PS. 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

18. MAKE ME

Ps 39:4 “LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am.

Ps 51:8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice.

19. Be MERCIFUL to me

Ps 26:11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me.

Ps 41:4 I said, “LORD, be merciful to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”

Ps 41:10 But You, O LORD, be merciful to me, and raise me up, That I may repay them.

Ps 56:1 To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath. Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me.

Ps 57:1 To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave. Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by.

Ps 59:5 You therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah

Ps 67:1 To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us. Selah

Ps 86:3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, For I cry to You all day long.

Ps 119:58 I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word.

Ps 119:132 Look upon me and be merciful to me, As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.

20. PRESERVE ME

Ps 16:1 Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

21. PROVE ME

Ps 26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.

22. PURGE ME

Ps 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

23. REDEEM ME

Ps 26:11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me.

24. REVIVE ME

Ps 143:11 Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

25. SAVE ME

Ps 3:7 Arise, O LORD; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.

26. SHOW ME

Ps 25:4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.

Ps 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

27. SEARCH ME

Ps 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;

Ps 139:24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

28. STRENGTHEN ME

Ps 119:28 My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.

Ps 18:32 It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect.

Ps 18:39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

Neh. 6:9 For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.” Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

29. TEACH ME

Ps 25:4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.

Ps 25:5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

Ps 27:11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

Ps 86:11 Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.

Ps 119:12 Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes!

Ps 119:26 I have declared my ways, and You answered me; Teach me Your statutes.

Ps 119:33 HE. Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end.

Ps 119:64 The earth, O LORD, is full of Your mercy; Teach me Your statutes.

Ps 119:66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments.

Ps 119:68 You are good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes.

Ps 119:108 Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, And teach me Your judgments.

Ps 119:124 Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, And teach me Your statutes.

Ps 119:135 Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes.

Ps 119:171 My lips shall utter praise, For You teach me Your statutes.

Ps 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

30. UPHOLD ME

Ps 51:12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Ps 94:18 If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.

31. VINDICATE ME

Ps 26:1 Vindicate me, O LORD, For I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the LORD; I shall not slip.

Ps 35:24 Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness; And let them not rejoice over me.

Ps 43:1 Vindicate me, O God, And plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

32. WASH ME

Ps 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

Ps 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

An article written by our founder Dwayne Carson

To download today’s Latest Lesson, click the download arrow on the PDF file.