10 Evening Psalms

Each night I lay my head on the pillow. I stare up at the ceiling. We run our ceiling fan each night, winter or summer. The air gets stuffy in our room if we don’t. On those days where life felt busy and I never sat down for a moment makes me feel even more tired at night. It is on those days of busy life that I find myself wide awake at night. After years of struggling, I found 10 evening psalms.

Before I turned to God’s Word I would lay awake at night for hours. The thoughts that were crowded out during the day with activity, those things flood back into my mind. Those thoughts like a harsh word I spoke, or the bitterness I didn’t squish, or the pain that lingers in my soul.

Those thoughts keep me awake at night. Like dark clouds I can’t always see the way forward. For so long I stayed awake at night because I couldn’t turn my brain off. Like a computer that wouldn’t shut off I found myself struggling to roll over and let sleep take me. It doesn’t help that my tossing and turning keeps my husband awake and if I’m quiet he falls right to sleep.

How to Sleep

One night, several years ago, I laid awake and I felt a single tear fall from the corner of my eye. My body was so exhausted and my heart so worried that sleep felt like a joke. I tried to pray but had no words because of the heartache filling my heart. I got up, left the bedroom and grabbed my Bible. Then I made my way downstairs and opened up to the book of Psalms.

In the middle of the dark I discovered that God never slept.

Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 121:4

I decided to share with you ten of the best psalms for the evening or night. Take this list and read them each night for the next ten days and see if it helps you sleep at night.

Psalm 121:4 – Behold, He who keeps Israel, Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalm 6:6,9 – I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. The Lord has heard my supplication;
The Lord will receive my prayer.

Psalm 16:7-8 – I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Psalm 19:2 – Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.

Psalm 55:17 – Evening and morning and at noon, I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.

Psalm 59:16 – But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense. And refuge in the day of my trouble.

Psalm 62:8 – Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

Psalm 65:8 – They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs; You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.

Psalm 102:7,12 – I lie awake, And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop. But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.

Psalm 104:19-20 – He appointed the moon for seasons; The sun knows its going down. You make darkness, and it is night, In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.

I pray that you will find joy in the Lord in the night. Both the night seasons and the physical night can be such a difficult time in our lives. That you will meet with Him in those hours before you go to sleep. He will be up all night watching over you, so rest with the One who loves you with steadfast love.