Psalm 139 is a prayer of being fully known: God has searched us, knit us together, and counted our days. Praying through it means inviting that searching — “Search me, O God, and know my heart… and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24). Use this guided prayer and these prayer points to make the psalm your own.
I recently had some prayer time with the Lord and was reminded of Psalm 139 as I thought about God searching my heart and knowing my thoughts, how He knows me better than myself, and how I want my heart and mind aligned with His. I decided to write through the entire Psalm the way it stuck out to me as I read it. Let this be a devotional or encouragement for you as you read through Psalm 139 and see how the word of God applies to you specifically.
O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
I praise you Father for searching me and knowing me, knowing when I rise and discerning my thoughts. For searching out my path and all my ways. Knowing everything I will say before I speak it and laying your hand on me, I can’t even understand it.
Prayer Points
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
Where can I go without you whether it be the heavens or underground, you are there. You lead and hold me regardless of where I go. Even in light or darkness, you are there, for darkness and light is you.
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
You formed me before I was even forming in my mother’s womb and the fact you formed me wonderfully and with intentionality, I praise you. My soul knows how wonderful you are. Nothing was hidden from you when you created me in the depths of the earth. You saw me, you se me, wrote out my days and they are fully written, in every detail. How should we pray to begin with?
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
Your thoughts overwhelm me and I love them as I am unable to comprehend the amount or significance. You are just and your will, will be done.
Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain.
Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
Align myself with you and all your ways. Search me and my heart to know if I align with you and lead me in every step I take to Glorify and make much of you.
Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Psalm 139 about?
Psalm 139 is David’s meditation on being completely known by God: His perfect knowledge of us (vv.1–6), His inescapable presence (vv.7–12), His craftsmanship in forming us (vv.13–16), and an invitation for Him to search and lead us (vv.23–24).
What are good prayer points from Psalm 139?
Pray: thank God that He knows you completely and loves you still (v.1); rest in His presence wherever you are (vv.7–10); praise Him for how He made you — “fearfully and wonderfully” (v.14); surrender your days to His plan (v.16); invite Him to search your heart and remove what grieves Him (vv.23–24).
What does “fearfully and wonderfully made” mean?
It means you were crafted by God with awe-inspiring skill and intention — not an accident of biology but a deliberate work “knitted together” by the Creator (Psalm 139:13–14). Your worth is built into your making.
When should I pray Psalm 139?
Anytime, but it especially fits seasons of feeling unseen, struggling with identity or self-worth, facing decisions, or examining your heart before God. Many believers pray vv.23–24 daily as an invitation to ongoing honesty with God.
