The 103rd Psalm, written by David who was familiar with loss and grief, helps us focus on all the Lord has given us, like how He has redeemed our lives from the pit.

Pastor and writer Scotty Smith included this prayer in a 2015 sermon called Praying Through Psalm 103:1-4: “You are a great and gracious Redeemer, Father. Not only have you redeemed us from the ultimate pit of death and judgment; you also rescue us out of other kinds of pits—pits we naively fall into, pits we get pushed into, and pits into which we foolishly jump: Waterless pits like self-pity and self-righteousness; seething bitterness and soul-sucking resentment; toxic shame and vain regrets; the deep hole of hopelessness and the dark dry prison of unbelief. Continue your rescue mission in our lives.”

This Psalm 103 passage has carried many believers through the hardships of life. One of our prisoner-contributors expressed it well: “Just being able to bless God in Jesus’ name, to thank Him with everything that is in me, helps me get through each day.”