What Prayer Book Does God Provide as Your ‘Go-To’?
When I hit the depths of despair during my infertility journey, my mother shared a verse in the Psalms to encourage me: “He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children” (Psalm 113:9).
Mom prompted me to use the verse in a prayer to my heavenly Father:
Lord, You are the Maker of all things. My heart is aching as I long to have children. Your Scripture says: “He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children” (Psalm 113:9 NIV). I claim that promise for me in the name of Jesus if it is according to Your will. Please fulfill the desires of my heart.
After praying for this promise, I breathed slowly and waited silently for God’s Holy Spirit to respond. I felt peace and calm pour over me—God controlled my situation. What a relief from my stressed state! As a result of that experience, the Psalms became my ‘Go-to’ Prayer Book for opening my conversations with God.
Maybe reading the Psalms is already a daily part of your infertility toolkit. If not, let’s chat about it.
Look at God’s Prayer Book of Psalms as You Never Have Before.
The Psalms of the Holy Bible are divinely inspired prayers that will show you how to talk to God and listen to Him. God wants to hear about everything troubling you and is waiting for you to ask for help. He supplies you with verses of comfort and hope that can be turned into cries from your heart.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NIV
Theologian W. David O. Taylor (author of Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life says, “In the Psalms, we find words from God, we find words about God, and we find words to God…All such words teach us how to pray to God.”
Soothe your pain and be encouraged with 150 poetic prayers.
In the center of your Bible, God’s inspired words and promises in the prayer book of Psalms express emotions and candidly talk about suffering, disappointment, and hurt (Psalms of Lament). The authors boldly ask for God’s help because they know of His trustworthy nature. He has a purpose behind their suffering and a plan for their future.
In addition, the Psalms of Praise will remind you that God is a loving, healing Creator, full of compassion, and sovereign over the whole universe—including you. As you vent your pain and discover His powerful presence, His words will infuse you with hope and confidence in His constant, protective care.
For instance, here’s another verse my sister supplied that supported my battle:
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1:3 NIV
When I asked the Holy Spirit of God to help me apply these words, a thought struck me: “God’s word is like refreshing water for me. I’m That person.”
I asked God to fulfill Psalm 1:3 for me as I prayerfully repeated the verse and added:
Lord, no matter how difficult this season of infertility is, send my ‘roots’ out to Your stream. Allow Your words to flow through me. Do not let me dry up with discouragement. Refresh me. Bless me with vibrant faith and a productive life as I await Your will about having children. I ask this through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Using God’s words in the Psalms immediately connected me to a conversation with Him. His compassion wrapped around my heart.
You can Pray Now to the God of Comfort and Promises in the Psalms
Lord God, thank You for giving me the Psalms and blessing me as I take refuge in Your presence. Your verses reveal that no matter the pain, confusion, or disappointment, You will do something about it, just as You have for Your people for thousands of years.
Help me overcome this trial of infertility. Free me from my anguish (Psalm 25:17). You are faithful in Your promises, loving toward all You have made, and near when I call You (Psalm 145:13, 18 NIV.) You allow me to be transparent and speak to You with unguarded honesty.
Children are a gift from You. (Psalm 127:3) Having a family is a deep desire of my heart. Will You guide me to be forward-thinking and have complete trust that You are in control of my situation? Draw me close to You as I meditate on Your words and promises in the Psalms. Help me examine my emotions, fill me with Your truth, and move me to joy. I ask all of this in the name of Jesus.
Moving Forward …
Ask yourself: As I pray with the Psalms—
- What parallels my circumstances?
- What verses of hope and promise can I begin using in my prayer life?
- What words describing God can I use to praise Him in my prayers (e.g., Psalm 103:8—The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness)?
Try these challenges:
- Consider praying one Psalm a day for the next two weeks—begin in sequence with Psalm 1. Here’s a tool to track your progress. When you get to Psalm 14 (way to go!), think about continuing this new practice of meditating on one Psalm each day until you reach Psalm 150. (Idea: write a keyword next to each Psalm on the progress sheet to remind you what it’s about.)
- Before you read, ask God to reveal Himself and illuminate what He wants you to glean from His poetic words. Read the whole Psalm, then slowly review each verse to understand the emotions and circumstances. Allow yourself at least 10 minutes to reflect and listen to what the Holy Spirit of God will speak to your mind.
- If you would like more insight into the formation of the Psalms, here’s a guide that may help you.
I’d enjoy hearing about the impact of praying with the Psalms is having on you. Please share this link with a friend who might be encouraged by this post.
Until next time,
Peace be with you,
Kimberly
P.S. You won’t want to miss the following posts that will equip you for your infertility journey:
- Where can you find a Powerhouse of Encouragement during Infertility?
- What’s an Easy Way to Begin Joint Prayer About Infertility?
- Who Is Your Ultimate Prayer Partner – Part 1
- 4-steps to Overcoming Your Infertility Fears and Worries
- What Steps Do You Take to Draw Close to God Each Day?