A Month o’ Psalmdays 

“So you were reading a psalm every day?”

“Every day for a month.”

“I’ve done that.”

“No, I mean the same psalm.”

“The same psalm? Every day for a month?”

“Right.”

Reading Psalm 119 every day for a month was a key factor in curing my depression. At the time I shook constantly, felt ill, cried easily, couldn’t focus … Some days were so bad, a little timer was required to pull me through the schedule: ten minutes cleaning… PING… ten minutes paying the bills… PING… ten minutes crying… PING… Sane people may find it difficult to understand, but reading the Bible can seem out of the question when you’re, well, not quite all there. On many days I sat down with an open Bible—a small, symbolic act of defiance against the Enemy. But unable to read, I could only hope that merely holding the Bible for ten minutes would release some sort of magic cure… PING!

One day, though, I made an appointment with Dr. God and sat down with Psalm 119. A sweet voice had emerged through the demonic background noises in my head: “You can read it.” So I determined to finish the chapter—even if I couldn’t focus on a single word—though it would take longer than ten minutes. Finish all medicine. It seemed strange to select Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible. Surely a person who couldn’t concentrate would better tolerate a smaller dose of Scripture… say, Psalm 117, which in its entirety reads along the lines of, “Praise him. Praise him. Amen.”

But I had been properly diagnosed. Psalm 119 was the correct prescription to cut through the depths of my darkness. The first several sections were rough going. I was a little girl again, fighting as Daddy held the spoon of medicine. Gagging. I couldn’t help it. Just drink it down, honey. Then almost imperceptibly I began to relax. A few rare (and precious!) moments of peace prevailed as I actually zeroed in on the final portion. Verse 176, the last one, a plea to the Lord, came in loud and clear: “Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.”

For the first time in weeks, I felt a little better. And the relief remained for hours. I made a follow-up appointment and read Psalm 119 the next day… and the next… Repeat as needed.

Psalm 119 could almost be thought of as a chant (and that’s chant in the pep rally sense, not the Buddhist mantra sense!). Of the 176 verses, all but a handful mention God’s Word in some aspect: word, law, commands, statutes, precepts, decrees, promises… As I read, it was almost as if I were both hearing the Lord’s words and declaring them back to him. Every verse was beautiful, varied wording, but the underlying meaning behind each seemed to be: “Your Word is true! Your Word is true!” One hundred and seventy-six times. I needed to remember—and declare—that my life rested on the foundation of his Word.

Some readers might balk at the Psalm 119 megadose. But in this case, aggressive treatment was required. Remember the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4? He repeatedly answered the Enemy with, “It is written.” And the power of God’s Word drove the Enemy away. The “Your Word is true!” of Psalm 119 hammered home the message that, despite my current condition, the Lord was in charge of my life. He would keep his promises. He had power over the Enemy—even when I couldn’t feel it:

• “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” (v. 160)
• “Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.” (v. 143)
• “Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God!” (v. 115)
• “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” (v. 32)

Thirty powerful doses of that 176-verse miracle drug chipped away at my symptoms. Warning: Extra strength. May cause mild dizziness!

I believe the psalms offer an Rx for a variety of ailments—

CAN’T SLEEP?

Decades ago, Rosemary Clooney sang: “When you’re worried and you can’t sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep. And you’ll fall asleep, counting your blessings.”

Wisdom from that old song reflects thoughts from many of the psalms. “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.… Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion” (Psalm 103:2, 22). How about reading that psalm daily? For best results, take at bedtime. Then in bed, start recalling “all his benefits” for that day. (Psalm 77:10-12 expands that idea.) Common side effects include drowsiness and a sense of well-being.

MONEY PROBLEMS?

Psalm 37: “Commit your way to the Lord.… Do not fret.… I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous.… The Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected.… The Lord helps them.”

To reduce signs of anxiety. Once a day for 30 days.

SUFFERING?

Psalm 22 is prophetic of Jesus’ crucifixion, the first verse being one of the statements Jesus made from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” On Resurrection Sunday we often hear portions of this psalm quoted: “All who see me mock me.… They have pierced my hands and my feet.” But don’t stop there; read the entire psalm. The victory part has settled at the bottom. Shake well before using.

H. C. Leupold, in his commentary on Psalms, says that in the first 21 verses of Psalm 22, “we observe a strange wavelike movement, a vacillation between wretchedness and hope.” The words are wonderfully human. But after verse 22, the sufferer is on the upswing, confident of deliverance. Even the rhythm of this psalm has a therapeutic value. As Leupold describes, statements in the first section “are shorter, like gasps breathed in distress.” Then from verse 22 on, “they are longer, for the speaker is delivered and free from pain.”

The simple act of reading Psalm 22 can echo our emotions—and influence them. Long-lasting relief.

AFRAID?

Psalm 46: “God is… an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way.… The Lord Almighty is with us.”

Swallow 1 spoonful a day for 30 days. (May also be taken preventively, to inhibit the onset of fear.)

ALL ALONE?

Reaffirm your identity by reading Psalm 139. Speaker Kathy Blume told a group of women: “Read Psalm 139 every day for 30 days. It will change your life. You are knit together by God and fearfully and wonderfully made. You are a daughter of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

I sat with a Japanese friend one day as she read Psalm 139 aloud. She was not familiar with the Bible. She had a vague belief that perhaps the world was created by a higher power—but no concept of God’s personal relationship with individual people. Psalm 139 knocked her over: “O Lord… you know me.… Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.… You created my inmost being.… When I awake, I am still with you.”

When this friend finished reading Psalm 139 for the first time in her life, she was stunned. Then she said, “If I knew this were true, I’d never be lonely again.”

I nodded. “Read it again tomorrow.”… as long as symptoms persist.

Psalm 119:11 points to hiding (or storing up) God’s Word in our hearts. The New Century Version renders that: “I have taken your words to heart.” I found that reading a psalm over and over had both benefits: I was almost memorizing the passages, storing them up in my mind; and as I recalled certain phrases throughout the day, I could take the words to heart—believing them and acting on them.

So what’s ailing you?

If you’ve slipped and fallen away from the Creator, administer Psalm 8 or Psalm 19.

Redness or swelling around the eyes? Sing the clouds away with Psalm 150.

To vent about being wronged—Psalm 109. Reduces irritation.

Psalm 23—recommended as an all-purpose tonic.

Choose any psalm that speaks to your symptoms. Over-the-counter medicine. In any case, the directions are the same: One psalm. Taken for 30 days. No adverse side effects. Free of charge and authorized by the Great Physician.

The Doctor will see you now.

© Lynn Lusby Pratt. Published in SEEK magazine, 8/8/2004. Revised 5/10/2024. Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the 1984 New International Version.