7 psalms to anchor to your daily habits

One of the best ways to add more little moments of prayer into your day is by anchoring them to your existing habits. The psalms are lyrical and approachable, making them a perfect starting place for turning your heart to the Lord more frequently through Scripture. 

To anchor a psalm to your habit, post a reminder (either the passage number, or a key verse, or a printout of the entire psalm) in the locations where you do various daily habits. The key is to find a reminder that is hard to overlook while you form each habit of prayer. 

The visual reminder could be a simple index card, a sticky note, or even masking tape written on with a nice pen. Once you develop the habit of turning toward God in the little moments and master these Scripture verses, you can change out the Bible verses or incorporate quotes from the saints. Here are several psalms that fit with common daily habits to get you started!

Habit: Morning coffee

Psalm: “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever!” (Psalm 118:29 RSVCE)

Location: Place a wooden popsicle stick written with the psalm verse inside your empty coffee cup. As you remove the stick before pouring your coffee, you will be reminded to pray!

Habit: Taking your phone off the charger/checking it in the morning

Psalm: “Let me hear in the morning of thy steadfast love, for in thee I put my trust.” (Psalm 143:8 RSVCE)

Location: Stick a note over the screen of your phone before you put it on the charger for the night. The next day when you are ready to check your phone, the screen will be covered until you see and remove the sticky note.

Habit: Morning commute

Psalm: “The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore.” (Psalm 121:8 RSVCE)

Location: Masking tape on your dashboard or note card on your lowered sun visor.

Habit: Shower, hand washing, or teeth brushing

Psalm: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 RSVCE)

Location: Write directly on the bathroom mirror with a dry-erase marker or post a note. Use packing tape over a small scrap of paper and tape to the back wall of your shower.

Habit: Cooking dinner or washing dishes

Psalm: “When thou givest to them, they gather it up; when thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good things.” (Psalm 104:28 RSVCE)

Location: Above your sink or above your stove (if enough distance from the stove is possible). Business card sized picture frames fit nicely on window sills above the sink, and magnetic clips will stick to most range vents or onto the side of a fridge.

Habit: Folding laundry

Psalm: “For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13 RSVCE)

Location: Tie a beautiful ribbon with a gift tag onto the handle of your laundry basket.

Habit: Before falling asleep

Psalm: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for thou alone, O Lord, makest me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8 RSVCE)

Location: Set a note or prayer card on your pillow when you make your bed in the morning so that your reminder is waiting for you when you go to bed. If you are feeling particularly crafty, you could sew a simple pillow sachet for dried lavender and include the verse on the sachet. A note could be tied to your bedside lamp in order to pray right before turning off the light.

Choose any or all of the above suggestions to start adding small moments with Scripture into your existing routine. For some, beginning with all at once will have the most impact, while others may choose to start by anchoring only one habit to a Psalm. Let us know the ways you have added moments of prayer into your day in the comments below!