Five Powerful Psalms of David (with 5-Day Prayer Challenge)

A few weeks ago, I introduced a prayer challenge to my email list that incorporated powerful Psalms of David to encourage us to cultivate a powerful prayer life. Now anyone can read the prayer challenge anytime you need encouragement and want to go deeper in your prayer life! 

When we think of someone from the Bible with bold, courageous faith, David definitely makes it to the top of the great hall of faith. David was known as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), and that he certainly was!

David wrote the most prayers ever recorded in Scripture. Not only was he a warrior in battle, but he was a prayer warrior–constantly calling out to God through the prayers we read today in many of the psalms.

We can learn so much from his earnest prayers as we seek to cultivate our own prayer lives. It’s time to grow as bold and courageous prayer warriors who pray with power and passion!

In this prayer challenge you can read daily prayers and download FREE printables to help you strengthen your prayers by looking at the life and example of King David.

Here is the breakdown of the BOLD Prayers of David:

Prayer Challenge Day 1: Psalms of Praise

Prayer Challenge Day 2: Psalms of Deliverance

Prayer Challenge Day 3: Psalms of Blessing

Prayer Challenge Day 4: Psalms of Confession

Prayer Challenge Day 5: Psalms of Faithfulness

At the end of each prayer challenge, you can download a free set of printables that goes deeper into the psalm of David that we are studying that day. You are also welcome to do this prayer challenge with a friend or with others for your church or small group!

Psalms of David Prayer Challenge Day One: Psalms of Praise

Welcome to Day 1 of the BOLD Prayers of David Prayer Challenge!

Can you take a trip down memory lane with me? Think back to when you were about 17 years old. What memories come to mind when you were that age? 

Some of us might refer to those years as the “drama” years, when we were in our teens and thought we knew everything—all to realize later in life how little we actually knew! Lol

But David, even in his teens, radically loved the God of Israel. Although he was the youngest in his family, he had the boldness to knock down a 9-foot giant with one swing of his slingshot! 

He had such faith that he knew God would deliver him from the hand of his enemy, Goliath.

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” (1 Samuel 17:32)

Are we bold enough to believe that we serve the same God as David, who is able to defeat giants on our behalf? David was able to speak so confidently about God’s power because he helped him defeat a lion and a bear while he was tending sheep in the wilderness.

Here is a prayer of praise David wrote from Psalm 144:1-2,

Praise be to the Lord my Rock,

who trains my hands for war,

my fingers for battle.

He is my loving God and my fortress,

my stronghold and my deliverer,

my shield, in whom I take refuge,

who subdues peoples under me. 

We know that God will help us overcome our current circumstances because he has helped us overcome our past hardships. Our God is faithful!

Whatever “Goliath” problem you are currently facing, cry out to God with warrior-faith, and remember that he can conquer the giants in your life!

Today’s prayer:

Lord, I ask that you will give us the courage and boldness that you gave to David. Help us to remember that nothing is too difficult for you, and you can help us overcome any “Goliath” situation we are going through. Gird us with your Spirit, and thank you that we already have the victory through the power of Christ!

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

You can download Day One’s printables below, which focuses on praying prayers of praise!

Psalms of David Prayer Challenge Day Two: Psalms of Deliverance

Welcome to Day 2 of the BOLD Prayers of David Challenge!

You would think that after David defeated Goliath that he would be enemy-free, but that was certainly not the case. In fact, the more victories he gained, the more enemies he faced!

Not only did David face Goliath, but soon after he was anointed king, Saul—who at first was an ally, became an enemy (1 Samuel 18:28-29). Even David’s own son Absalom turned against him (2 Samuel 15:10-12).

Many of the Psalms we know and love today came from those dark moments when David was on the run from his enemies. There are times in our lives when it seems like those who are closest to us sometimes feel like enemies. 

But we know that if God is for us, nothing—or no one–can be against us.

People in our lives may sometimes feel like enemies, but there is only one enemy we need to be on the lookout for. Paul in Ephesians 6 said it best,

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12

Do you sometimes feel under siege by the enemy? We all may have felt like David did when he was fleeing from Saul,

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Psalm 18:16-19

The Hebrew word for “spacious” means a broad or roomy place, or wide expanses (source). This word is also referred to in the Old Testament as large open pastures for sheep (Hosea 4:16). 

Imagine David hiding from his enemy Saul. He often hid in dark caves (1 Samuel 22:1). Imagine the fear and isolation he must have felt. (He truly was between a rock and a hard place!)

But God delivered him out of small, cramped hiding places and brought him to a wide, spacious place.

Our Good Shepherd leads his sheep to safe pastures–beside calm, still waters (Psalm 23:1).

May the Lord bring us into a spacious place as we call out to him for deliverance! No matter what enemies you are currently facing, may we take comfort in knowing that God is with us as he was with David, and that he will deliver us from our foes!

Today’s BOLD prayer:

Lord, thank you for your hand of protection and deliverance from the evil one. Thank you for leading us to wide, open spaces where we can roam free—free of fear, and full of hope, victory and joy. May we walk in your peace each day. Amen.

Here is Day 2 of the Psalms of David prayer challenge printables, and may you rest in the strength of our great God!

Psalms of David Prayer Challenge Day Three: Psalms of Blessing

Welcome to Day 3 of the BOLD Prayers of David Challenge!

Even in the midst of David’s challenges, God never left his side—and David never failed to give God praise and glory. God sent the prophet Samuel to appoint David to be the next king of Israel after Saul (1 Samuel 16:11-13). Samuel anointed him with oil, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him with power (vs 13).

Later in that chapter, David was called to serve Saul in his courts as an armor bearer and as a musician (1 Samuel 16:16-23). But it would be many years before David was actually crowned king. He entered Saul’s service as a young man, but was not king until he was thirty years old (2 Samuel 5:4).

This means that from the time David was anointed king by Samuel, at least 10-15 years had passed before he was actually king!

We have also been anointed by the Holy Spirit, and are appointed and equipped to serve the Lord with power. It may take years of preparation before we fully walk in all that God has planned for us—but his timing is perfect, and we are still royalty in his sight!

As we wait for the Lord, we can do what David did—call out to him in prayer for help and strength, and continue to grow in our faith.

David expressed his gratitude to God in Psalm 21,

The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.

How great is his joy in the victories you give!

You have granted him his heart’s desire

and have not withheld the request of his lips.

You came to greet him with rich blessings

and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.

He asked you for life, and you gave it to him–

length of days, for ever and ever.

Psalm 21:1-4

May we also give God praise for his rich blessings in our lives!

Today’s Prayer:

Lord, like David, you have richly blessed us beyond what we could imagine. You have given us life, health, family, and the opportunity each day to draw closer to you. Like David, we are also royalty—because we are your children. You have anointed us with the gift and power of the Holy Spirit, and we ask that you will lead and guide us to accomplish your will for our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Check out Day 3 of the Psalms of David prayer challenge, and have a great day as you pray the Psalms with power!

Psalms of David Prayer Challenge Day Four: Psalms of Confession

Welcome to Day 4 of the BOLD Prayers of David Challenge!

Although David was a man after God’s own heart, he was far from perfect. You may be familiar with the sins that caused much pain and heartache in David’s life and family. It was the sin of adultery with Bathsheba, and the subsequent murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 11:2-5, 14-23).

It took the rebuke of Nathan the prophet to open David’s eyes to see the gravity of his sin against God.

This is what the Lord said to David through Nathan,

‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you more. 

Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

2 Samuel 12:7-10

There are certainly consequences for our sins—but in the midst of our transgressions, God’s grace abounds when we come to him with a repentant and contrite heart. Through Christ, his love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).

There are times when we, like David, have ignored the commands of God and have chosen to do our own thing. But when we repent of those wayward moments, God forgives our sins (1 John 1:9).

Even though David sinned, that did not change the fact that he was still king. 

He was still royalty in the eyes of God.

Our past sins do not determine our future in Christ.

David cried out to God for mercy and forgiveness in Psalm 51,

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; 

according to your great compassion blot out my transgression. 

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin… 

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 51:1-2, 10-12

Is there anything you need to confess to God today? Know that God’s forgiveness flows like a waterfall, and that his love and mercies are renewed every morning!

Today’s Prayer:

Lord, thank you that your love and mercy flows abundantly. May your forgiveness cover our sins as we seek your face and call out to you for hope, help, and strength.

Amen.

You can download Day Four’s printables by clicking below!

Psalms of David Prayer Challenge Day Five: Psalms of Faithfulness

Welcome to the last day of the BOLD Prayers of David Challenge! I hope you have found the prayer challenge encouraging! It has been a great reminder for me to stay focused on the Lord and to call out to him in prayer. In the midst of all that David had gone through in his life, God’s faithfulness never changed.

As David reflected on his life, he realized this powerful truth,

I was young and now I am old,

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken

or their children begging bread.

Psalm 37:25

No matter the ups and downs or the trials and struggles we have been through, God is faithful, and he will never forsake his people.

We are reminded of this truth with every sunrise we see. With the start of each new day, we have the opportunity to draw closer to him.

David also declared God’s faithfulness in this Psalm,

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,

your justice like the great deep.

You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.

How priceless is your unfailing love, God!

People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house;

you give them drink from your river of delights.

For with you is the fountain of life;

and in your light we see light.

Psalm 36:5-9

Today’s Prayer:

Lord, thank you for your faithfulness! Throughout our lives, you have been our God. You have never abandoned us, and you continue to shower us with your love and grace. This day, we declare your goodness, and stand in awe of who you are. No matter the difficulties we have faced, your hand of mercy and protection continues to sustain us. May the light of your love shine upon us today!

In Jesus name, Amen.

Thank you again so much for joining me for this prayer challenge! May we continue to cultivate a precious relationship with our Lord through bold and powerful prayers!

You can download Day 5 of the prayer challenge by clicking below!

In Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed this prayer challenge as we focus on the powerful Psalms of David and incorporate his prayers into our own lives. This challenge has definitely been a blessing to me! You can also read the original BOLD Prayer Challenge on the blog by going to the post here!

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