A prescription of psalms
by Sal Huckel
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Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer (Psalm 4:1).
Read Psalm 4
I have always loved the Psalms. According to Martin Luther’s introduction, we find prophecy, instruction, comfort, prayer and thanks in the Book of Psalms. You can find a publication of Luther’s summaries of the Psalms in one helpful volume (Concordia Press, 2007). My journey with Psalms began with receiving my individual Good News from the Psalms for confirmation. I loved having them in one volume with an index showing me where to look at different moments.
Here, we have a psalm we can use in distress. The psalmist does a great job of putting the words together for us that we may need when suffering at the hands of others and waiting for physical restoration. We pray for God’s light to shine on us and can go to sleep at night (the time we may often suffer most with these thoughts of difficulty) in peace:
In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety (verse 8).
Another comprehensive psalm for times of trouble, and one worth memorising, is Psalm 20.
We are told by Jesus that, in this world, we will have trouble: ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33).
In the Psalms, we often see the psalmist lamenting their trouble and then finding rest for their soul in the promise of God’s victory and the peace that only he can bring. Memorise the beginning or end of today’s psalm – or Psalm 20 – and use it when you need a prayer in times of distress. One mark of our faith is not that we do not suffer; it’s that, through Christ, we have victory over that suffering. Don’t forget to get to know the praise psalms for those hilltop moments, too!
Lord, thank you for the peace and safety I have in you. Help me to trust in you when I suffer or am anxious. May your word be hidden in my heart so I may not sin against you (Psalm 119:11). In the saving name of Jesus, Amen.
Sal is married to Pastor Matthew Huckel, and they live in Victoria with their six children. Music, theology, literature and languages are passions the family share and explore together. Sal loves writing, speaking and walking to the beach at every opportunity.
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