“I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from?” the psalmist asked, and answered his own question immediately: “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Not a rhetorical question left hanging, a real one with a real answer he trusted.
These thirty verses are for the plain, honest cry of help, whatever’s currently too big to handle alone.
Pray these simply, without needing to explain or justify why you’re asking.
Prayer for Help
1. Psalms 121:1-2 (KJV)
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
Prayer: I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from You.
Let this be my honest answer, not just a memorized line.
2. Psalms 46:1 (KJV)
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Prayer: You are my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Let help feel present, not distant, right now.
3. Psalms 34:17 (KJV)
“The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”
Prayer: I’m crying out, hear me, and deliver me.
Let crying out be met with real deliverance, not just acknowledgment.
4. Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Prayer: Let me approach Your throne of grace with confidence, and find help in this exact time of need.
Let confidence come from Your invitation, not my own worthiness.
5. Psalms 40:17 (KJV)
“But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.”
Prayer: I am poor and needy, but You think of me, You are my help and my deliverer.
Let need be something You actually respond to, not overlook.
6. Psalms 30:2 (KJV)
“O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.”
Prayer: I called to You for help, and You healed me.
Let calling out and help arriving happen close together this time.
7. Psalms 54:4 (KJV)
“Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.”
Prayer: You are my helper, You are the One who sustains me.
Let sustaining be as real as this simple statement claims.
8. Psalms 118:6-7 (KJV)
“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.”
Prayer: You are with me, I will not be afraid, You are my helper.
Let this pressure stay in proportion, not feel bigger than it is.
9. Psalms 70:1 (KJV)
“MAKE HASTE, O GOD, TO DELIVER ME; MAKE HASTE TO HELP ME, O LORD.”
Prayer: Hasten to help me, Lord, come quickly.
Let this be answered soon, not left waiting.
10. Psalms 10:14 (KJV)
“Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.”
Prayer: You are the helper of the fatherless, and everyone with no one else to turn to.
Let this be true for me too, whether or not anyone else can help right now.
11. Psalms 20:1-2 (KJV)
“The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;”
Prayer: May You answer me in my day of trouble, and send me help.
Let this specific trouble be met with specific help.
12. Isaiah 41:10 (KJV)
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Prayer: Don’t let me be dismayed, You are my God, You will strengthen and help me.
Let help come before I completely run out.
13. Isaiah 41:13 (KJV)
“For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”
Prayer: You take hold of my right hand and say, do not fear, I will help you.
Let this feel like a hand actually holding mine right now.
14. Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV)
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
Prayer: I’m asking, seeking, knocking. Let me keep doing all three until You answer.
Let persistence not turn into losing hope while I wait.
15. James 1:5 (KJV)
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
Prayer: I lack wisdom here, plainly. Give it to me generously, without finding fault.
Let help come without shame for having to ask.
16. Psalms 121:3-4 (KJV)
“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”
Prayer: You who watch over me will not slumber or sleep.
Let Your watching cover every hour I’m unaware.
17. Psalms 121:7-8 (KJV)
“The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”
Prayer: Keep me from all harm, watch over my life.
Let watching cover what I can’t manage on my own.
18. Psalms 145:14 (KJV)
“The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.”
Prayer: You uphold all who fall and lift up all who are bowed down.
Let me be lifted, not left where I’ve fallen.
19. Psalms 55:22 (KJV)
“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
Prayer: I’m casting this burden on You, trusting You to sustain me.
Let sustaining happen instead of me carrying this alone.
20. Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV)
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Prayer: Let me bring this to You instead of carrying it alone, and let peace guard my heart and mind.
Let peace reach the exact place I’m asking for help.
21. 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
Prayer: I’m casting this whole anxiety onto You, because You care what I’m carrying.
Let casting it be a real release, not just words.
22. Romans 8:26 (KJV)
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
Prayer: Your Spirit helps me in my weakness, interceding when I don’t know what to pray.
Let the Spirit carry what I don’t have words for.
23. Psalms 27:9 (KJV)
“Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.”
Prayer: Don’t hide Your face from me, You have been my helper.
Let Your face be turned toward me, not away, right now.
24. Psalms 63:7 (KJV)
“Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.”
Prayer: Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings.
Let singing come naturally out of real, felt help.
25. Psalms 33:20 (KJV)
“Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.”
Prayer: My soul waits for You, You are my help and my shield.
Let waiting not feel wasted, even when it’s slow.
26. Psalms 124:8 (KJV)
“Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
Prayer: My help is in Your name, Maker of heaven and earth.
Let this ancient confidence hold for me too, right now.
27. Isaiah 50:7 (KJV)
“For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”
Prayer: The Sovereign Lord helps me, so I will not be disgraced.
Let help arrive before shame has a chance to settle in.
28. Psalms 22:19 (KJV)
“But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.”
Prayer: Don’t be far off, You are my strength, come quickly to help me.
Let this help come soon, not indefinitely delayed.
29. Psalms 71:12 (KJV)
“O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.”
Prayer: Don’t be far from me, my God, come quickly to help me.
Let nearness be real, not distant, right now.
30. Psalms 121:8 (KJV)
“The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”
Prayer: The Lord will watch over my coming and going, both now and forevermore.
Let this help be constant, not a one-time favor.
Conclusion
The psalmist didn’t leave that question hanging in the air. He answered it himself, plainly, and let that answer steady him before help had even visibly arrived.
Ask plainly. There’s no extra credit for suffering silently before you finally cry out.
For a much stronger, more urgent version of this same cry, a prayer for deliverance and breakthrough is worth reading too.