Scripture Focus: —Psalm 91:1 ERV
Pulling Back the Curtain on Restlessness
There have been seasons when I was too tired to pray. Not unwilling—just exhausted. I opened my mouth and no words came out. I tried to write, and the pages stayed blank. The ache was real, but my language had left me. If you have ever sat in the stillness, surrounded by cluttered thoughts and noise you could not name, then you know what I mean.
It is in those moments—the ones where silence feels like both comfort and confinement—that I have turned to the Psalms. Not to study them. Not to analyze them. But to let them speak for me. Because sometimes, the Psalms become the only voice we have left when our own feels too fragile to rise.
The Healing Work of Writing What We Feel
I did not begin In the Secret Place because I had all the answers. I began because I was seeking refuge—real refuge. Not the kind that comes from scrolling or escaping, but the kind that pulls you back into the arms of God when you feel scattered, stretched, or small. I wanted to walk slowly through Psalm 91, not just read it but let it read me.
This is why each volume pairs a verse from Psalm 91 with another Psalm. One verse speaks protection; the other whispers companionship. One calls us under His wings; the other reminds us that we are not forgotten. When I journaled these verses—just one pair a day—I began to feel something I had not felt in a long time:
Peace.
Not because everything was fixed. Not because the noise had disappeared. But because I had a place to put what I was carrying. I was not just writing Bible verses. I was giving my burdens back to God one sentence at a time.
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What Happens When You Stop Running Through the Word
We often treat Scripture like a to-do list: read, highlight, check it off. But Psalm 91 does not rush. It dwells. It settles. It calls you to abide.
When I stopped rushing through God’s promises and began sitting with them—writing them slowly, one day at a time—I discovered that rest is not just a result. It is a process. And in that process, journaling became my safe space. A place where my anxious heart could take shelter and my thoughts could breathe.
The Word was not just comforting me. It was reforming me.
Your Journal Can Be a Secret Place
Psalm 91:1 begins with this powerful image: “You can go to God Most High to hide.” That is not metaphor. That is permission. That is invitation.
Your journal—yes, the one with the half-written prayers and the messy pages—is a sacred space. Every time you show up there, especially when you feel like you have nothing to say, you are stepping into the secret place. You are dwelling under the shadow of the Almighty—even if all you write is, “Lord, I am tired today.”
This is what I have learned through this journey: Journaling is not about eloquence—it is about evidence. It shows that you came. That you sat with the Word. That you chose presence over perfection.
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When the Psalms Speak for You
The Psalms say things we are sometimes too overwhelmed to articulate:
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“My tears have been my food day and night.” (Psalm 42:3)
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“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” (Psalm 34:18)
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“I am always aware of the Lord’s presence.” (Psalm 16:8)
These are not just verses. These are journal entries from people who also felt overwhelmed, weary, afraid. Writing through the Psalms—especially alongside Psalm 91—is not just a practice in spiritual growth. It is survival. It is healing. It is how we learn to speak again.
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What If You Started Today?
If you are feeling restless—emotionally, spiritually, mentally—start small. Choose a verse pairing from In the Secret Place. Write them out slowly. Ask yourself:
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What does this verse say about who God is?
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What does this verse say about what I need?
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What is God whispering to me here?
Then, respond honestly. Even if it is only one line.
That single line may be the beginning of your healing. That scribbled sentence might be the first honest prayer you have prayed in a while.
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Closing Reflection
God never promised that we would never feel overwhelmed. But He did promise that we would not be alone in it. He is our shelter. Our hiding place. And when our own words fail, His Word stands. When we journal the Psalms, we are not just chronicling our days—we are charting the faithfulness of a God who meets us in every chapter.
And that, beloved, is the kind of refuge no storm can take from you.
Start Here: A Journal Prompt for the Restless
Choose a verse pairing from one of these Psalm plans for this series.
Write a Scripture.
Then, finish this sentence:
“Lord, I need Your refuge today because…”
Write it gently. Write it truthfully.
Then sit. Rest. And let Him cover you with His wings.