The Ultimate Guide To Comforting Psalms For Funerals & Memorials

Funerals ask us to make choices at a time when our minds are foggy. Many families choose the Psalms because they’ve always had a way of putting grief into honest words.

Here, the Psalms are grouped by the kind of comfort they offer - not by tradition or order. You can move through them slowly until something feels like the right fit.

The verses are written out in full so you can hear exactly what would be read at the service.

Psalms for When Grief Feels Heavy

For funerals marked by shock, sudden loss, or deep sorrow.

Psalm 34:18

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

A quiet, grounding verse for the opening moments of a funeral or vigil.

Psalm 130:1-2, 5-6

“Out of the depths I cry to You, Lord;
Lord, hear my voice.
Let Your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in His word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.”

A Psalm that does not rush grief. Perfect before a moment of silence.

Psalm 39:7-8

“But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in You.
Save me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the scorn of fools.”

Often chosen for quiet, reflective services.

Psalm 31:9-10

“Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and body with grief.
My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
and my bones grow weak.”

Psalms for Remembering a Life of Faith

For someone whose spirituality shaped their daily life.

Psalm 23:1-6

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for His name’s sake.

Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Surely Your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

A classic funeral reading across traditions.

Psalm 25:4-5

“Show me Your ways, Lord,
teach me Your paths.
Guide me in Your truth and teach me,
for You are God my Saviour,
and my hope is in You all day long.”

A beautiful reading for someone remembered for wisdom or humility.

Psalm 63:1-4

“You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek You;
I thirst for You,
my whole being longs for You,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.

I have seen You in the sanctuary
and beheld Your power and Your glory.
Because Your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify You.
I will praise You as long as I live,
and in Your name I will lift up my hands.”

Ideal for sunrise memorials or outdoor services.

Psalms That Bring Calm and Reassurance

For funerals focused on hope, peace, and emotional steadiness.

Psalm 16:11

“You make known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence,
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.”

Often used at graveside services.

Psalm 27:1, 4-5

“The Lord is my light and my salvation -
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life -
of whom shall I be afraid?

One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek Him in His temple.

For in the day of trouble
He will keep me safe in His dwelling;
He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.”

A comforting mid-service reading.

Psalm 93:1-2, 5

“The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;
indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.

Your throne was established long ago;
You are from all eternity.

Your statutes, Lord, stand firm;
holiness adorns Your house
for endless days.”

Perfect for printed leaflets or programs.

Psalm 40:1-3

“I waited patiently for the Lord;
He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
He set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.”

Psalm 55:22

“Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you;
He will never let the righteous be shaken.”

A quiet reminder that we do not have to carry grief alone.

Psalms for Families Searching for Meaning

For services where mourners are wrestling with questions, not certainty.

Psalm 42:1-3, 8

“As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for You, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
‘Where is your God?’

By day the Lord directs His love,
at night His song is with me -
a prayer to the God of my life.”

A Psalm that acknowledges both longing and confusion.

Psalm 90:1, 10, 12

“Lord, You have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.

Our days may come to seventy years,
or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

A meaningful reading during a eulogy about legacy.

Psalm 143:5-6, 8

“I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all Your works
and consider what Your hands have done.
I spread out my hands to You;
I thirst for You like a parched land.

Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in You.
Show me the way I should go,
for to You I entrust my life.”

An intimate, reflective passage for quiet memorials.

Psalm 10:1

“Why, Lord, do You stand far off?
Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?”

Psalm 22:1-2

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Why are You so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.”

Short Psalms for Programs, Prayer Cards, and Slideshows

Psalm 46:1

“God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.”

Psalm 147:3

“He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.”

Psalm 23:1

“The Lord is my shepherd;
I lack nothing.”

Psalm 16:2

“I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord;
apart from You I have no good thing.’”

These work beautifully on printed materials or tribute videos.

Psalms for the Graveside

(Where the moment is short, sacred, and quiet.)

Psalm 121:1-2, 7-8

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains -
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

The Lord will keep you from all harm -
He will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.”

Psalm 116:1-2, 7-9

“I love the Lord, for He heard my voice;
He heard my cry for mercy.
Because He turned His ear to me,
I will call on Him as long as I live.

Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.

For You, Lord, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.”

Ideal moments before the final committal.

Why We Return to the Psalms in Mourning

The Psalms speak into the spaces where most of us struggle to find words - the places of longing, fear, gratitude, and unanswered questions. That’s why they still show up in funerals today. They meet people where they are.

If you’re trying to comfort someone else right now and aren’t sure where to begin, you can explore our Thoughtful Christian Condolence Messages For Every Type Of Loss It gathers language shaped by faith, care, and honesty - the same qualities that make the Psalms so grounding.