Turning Psalm 23 into a Personal Prayer - Melanie Redd
Recently, my friend Don Woodruff shared the most wonderful article about making The Lord’s Prayer personal.
So many of you responded to this post, that I decided to share more of these well-loved passages and turn them into personal prayers.
Today, we take the beloved words of Psalm 23 and use them as a prayer of thanks back to our Good Shepherd.
It was my joy to write these prayers.
I hope that you will be able to take and use them in your own prayer time today.
Turning Psalm 23 into a Personal Prayer
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
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 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
The Lord is My Shepherd. (Psalm 23:1)
“Father, thank You for being my Shepherd, the One who leads my life.
Stand on the hillsides where I can see You.
Don’t let me miss You.
As a sheep, I will look to You, listen to Your voice, and follow Your leading.
I trust You to be the good Shepherd, the wise Shepherd, the loving Shepherd, and the strong Shepherd in my life.”
Father, I trust You to be the good Shepherd, the wise Shepherd, the loving Shepherd, and the strong Shepherd in my life. Click To Tweet
I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)
“Thank You, Lord, that I have everything I need right now.
Thank You for providing food, shelter, water, breath, and life.
I’m so grateful for Your goodness, love, mercy, and kindness in my life.
Because of You, I lack for nothing.
When I am tempted to look for more, lust for more, and strive for more, remind me that You have given me all that I need for today.
I trust You, Jesus.”
He makes me lie down. (Psalm 23:2)
“Sometimes this one is hard, Lord.
I don’t always want to lie down where and when You lead me to do so.
Would You give me the grace to trust You more?
When You lead me to rest, would You grant me the patience to do so?
When you lead me to come away and be still, would You enable me to leave the noise of the world behind?
You make me lie down; I will surrender, obey, and trust You.”
In green pastures. (Psalm 23:2)
“Thank you, Father, for only choosing the best pastures for me to lie in.
Thank You that You know the best spots for fresh and tender food.
I will follow You into the places that You lead me.
I’m so grateful that You know when and where I need to eat and fill back up again.”
He leads me beside the still waters. (Psalm 23:2)
“Lord, thank You for also taking me beside some still waters to be refreshed, renewed, and restored.
Stillness can be challenging for me at times.
But, I will trust that You know when I need rest and renewal in my life.
Thank You for nourishing me with fresh, quiet waters when I need these things in my life.”
Father, I will trust that You know when I need rest and renewal in my life. Click To Tweet
He restores my soul. (Psalm 23:3)
“Thank you, Father, for restoring me as I rest beside these still waters.
Thank You that You know what is coming next in my life.
You know when I need to rest and when I need to get up and move.
I will trust Your perfect timing in my life.
Would You give me the peace to stay beside these still waters until You stand up and lead me forward again?
Also, as I’m resting, would you deeply restore my soul and reignite my passion for life, for my family, for ministry, and for following You wholeheartedly?”
He leads me in the paths of righteousness. (Psalm 23:3)
“Lord, I am following You down paths as You lead.
Show me the way I should go.
Counsel me with Your eye on me.
Lead me so clearly, Father. I want to go in the right direction and in the way that honors You most.
As I am to make turns in life, would You let me hear Your voice behind me telling me whether to go to the right or the left?
I’m just a sheep, so I ask You to speak in a way that I won’t be able to miss.”
Lord, I’m just a sheep, so I ask You to speak in a way that I won’t be able to miss. Click To Tweet
For His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3)
“And, God, I want my life to be a blessing to You.
I want to honor You and give You incredible glory by the choices I make and by the way that I live.
For Your name’s sake, I wish to walk in a manner worthy of my calling and serve You.
Would You give me the courage, the strength, and the fortitude to follow You closely and without hesitation?”
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. (Psalm 23:4)
“Lord, it’s dark at times in this valley of our lives.
There are so many storms, difficulties, and crazy things going on around us.
Would You give me peace and a calm heart in the middle of this sunless season?
Even as I’m walking right now, would You be near to me?
Let Your nearness be my good.
Help me to find joy in Your presence right now.”
I will fear no evil. (Psalm 23:4)
“Father, the evil around me can be consuming and overwhelming.
As I watch the news and look at events happening around me, I can go into panic mode at times.
Would You free me from the fear of evil?
Would You give me incredible victory over the evil that encompasses me?
And, would You flood my heart with courage?”
Father, would You free me from the fear of evil? Click To Tweet
For You are with me. (Psalm 23:4)
“Thank You, Lord, that You are always with me.
You never leave me nor forsake me.
I praise You that there is no place I can go where I will not be in Your presence.
I’m so grateful that You are with me in the light and the darkness.
You are with me by day and by night. You are with me always. I am so grateful for this!”
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:5)
“Father, thank You that I am safe because You are with me.
Thank You for using Your rod and Your staff to protect me and to comfort me.
I’m so grateful that You fend off any dangers that don’t need to reach me.
I can rest securely because I know that I rest safely in Your care.
You hem me in behind and before.
Thank You for Your protection.”
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; (Psalm 23:5)
“And, God, thank You for preparing us a picnic right in the middle of my crazy world.
Thank You that You and I can enjoy a meal together even while surrounded by enemies and perceived enemies.
I’m so grateful that You treat me to a feast while my enemies look on.
Father, I lift my enemies and those difficult people in my life to You.
Would You bring healing and peace to our relationships?
Also, would You bless my enemies and those who have hurt me?
Would You deeply meet the needs of their hearts and heal their broken places?
I surrender my enemies to You for You to handle.”
Lord, I’m so grateful that You treat me to a feast while my enemies look on. Click To Tweet
You anoint my head with oil. (Psalm 23:5)
“Lord, thank You for anointing my drooping head with oil to revive me.
In this dry and weary land, I need Your refreshment in my life.
Thank You for knowing just when I need a good word, a kind gesture, a phone call, or any other encouraging thing in my life.
Thank You for pouring the fresh oil of hope over my head at just the perfect time.
You are a Good Shepherd.”
My cup runs over. (Psalm 23:5)
“Father, thank You for being so good to me that my cup runs over.
You fill me up to overflowing so that I might spill Your goodness out on others.
You give me more than I can hold. Use my life to spill out onto a lost and dying world.
Use me to encourage, inspire, and uplift others.
Give me the courage to share Your goodness with those around me.”
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6)
“Oh, Father, I praise You for Your goodness and mercy and kindness to me.
Where would I be without Your love, forgiveness, and grace?
Thank You that Your goodness and Your mercy chase after me and follow after me all the days of my life.
Thank You for pursuing me, staying close to me, and following me every day that I live on this earth.
I am blessed by You and Your relentless love for me!”
God, I am blessed by You and Your relentless love for me! Click To Tweet
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:6)
“And, Lord, thank You for sending Jesus to die in my place.
Thank You for reconciling me to Yourself through the sacrifice of Your Son on the cross.
Because of His death, I am invited to dwell with You forever.
It’s so sweet to know that this life on earth is not the end.
This is only just the beginning. I get to spend eternity with You. It’s my privilege to get to live with You forever. Thank You for this gift, Lord.”
As I close this time of prayer, Lord, I want to thank You again for being the most amazing Shepherd.
This week, I want to trust You, follow You, and live for You, as I never have before.
This week, I want to trust You, follow You, and live for You, as I never have before. Click To Tweet
We’ve got a wonderful new family resource to share with you!
It’s a devotional book for teen girls called Live in Light.
Live In Light is every girl’s guide to tackling their teenage years with the wisdom and comfort of the Bible. From navigating the pressure to be “perfect” on social media to dating and dealing with frenemies, these 5-minute devotionals help you to become the woman that both you and God want you to be.
Inside these teen devotionals for girls, you’ll find:
- 5-minute devotionals—Bring the Bible into your day at any moment with quick and practical readings.
- Relatable Scripture—Unpack lessons from the Bible with anecdotes you can apply to your daily life.
- A spiritual toolkit—Relate God’s words to challenges and topics like social media, body image, self-worth, and more.
This book offers unwavering guidance to live under the bright light of faith in a world filled with change.
Discover more on Amazon at Live in Light.
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For more encouragement, check out:
HOW TO MAKE THE PRAYER OF JABEZ PERSONAL
DIFFERENT WAYS TO PRAY OVER FEAR (USING ISAIAH 41:10)
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