Strength in the Soul: When God Answers the Crying Heart

“In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.” (Psalm 138:3, KJV)

Psalm 138:3 captures a holy, personal moment: a day marked by crying, answered prayer, and inner strengthening. David does not speak in theory. He speaks in memory—of a real day, a real need, and a real God who met him. The verse is short, but it opens a deep well of comfort for anyone who has ever felt pressed beyond natural endurance.

First, notice the honesty of the psalmist: “In the day when I cried….” This is not a polished prayer full of impressive language. It is a cry—what rises out of a heart when words run out. A cry is what you offer when the burden is too heavy, the fear is too present, or the situation is too complex to untangle. Many believers feel guilty for reaching that point, as if spiritual maturity should remove desperate emotions. Yet Scripture presents crying to God as an act of faith. The cry is not proof that you have lost faith; it may be proof that you know exactly where your help must come from.

Then comes the miracle of divine attention: “thou answeredst me….” God’s answer is personal and timely. David says it happened “in the day”—not merely “eventually” or “someday,” but in the very season of distress. This does not mean God always resolves the outward situation immediately. But it does mean He is not absent while you wait. His answers may come as a clear direction, a closed door, a word from Scripture suddenly illuminated, a conviction to repent, or the quiet assurance that you are not alone. The key point is that God is responsive. The One we pray to is not distant or indifferent. David speaks as someone who cried and discovered that heaven was not silent.

But the most striking part of the verse is how God answered: “and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.” The psalmist highlights an internal work. God did not merely adjust circumstances; He fortified the inner person. There are seasons when what you need most is not a quick change around you, but a stronger core within you. The Lord can give strength that does not depend on predictable conditions—strength that endures uncertainty, betrayal, sickness, delay, and the aching weight of unanswered questions.

This “strength in my soul” is not mere optimism. It is spiritual reinforcement. It is courage that does not originate in personality. It is steadiness that cannot be explained simply by willpower. It is the kind of strengthening that allows a believer to continue obeying, continue loving, continue praying, and continue hoping even while the battle is still unfolding. God’s strength can settle a trembling heart, anchor a scattered mind, and restore a weary spirit.

Also notice the personal ownership in David’s testimony: “answeredst me,” “strengthenedst me,” “my soul.” Faith becomes especially alive when it becomes personal. Other people’s stories can encourage you, but you were meant to know God’s help firsthand. Psalm 138:3 invites you to remember your own “day” of crying—days when you came to the end of yourself and found that God met you there. And if you cannot yet point to such a day, the verse invites you to bring today to Him. You may not control the timing, but you can bring the crying heart to the answering God.

If you are in a season where you feel weak, make this verse your prayer. Speak to the Lord plainly. Cry to Him without pretending. Ask Him for what David received: an answer, and strength in your soul. When God strengthens the soul, you may still have work to do, decisions to make, and trials to endure—but you will not face them empty. The Lord who answered in David’s day still answers in ours, and He still strengthens the inner life with His own supply.

Prayer: Lord, in the day when I cry, hear me. Answer me according to Thy wisdom, and strengthen me with strength in my soul. Make me steady, faithful, and trusting, even when my circumstances are not yet changed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Artwork for Psalms 138:3

Psalms 138:3 - "In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul."

"In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul." - Psalms 138:3

"Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful." - Psalms 119:138

Psalms 138:5 - "Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD."

Psalms 119:138 - "Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful."

Psalms 138:1 - "I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee."

Psalms 138:4 - "All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth."

Psalms 138:6 - "Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off."

Psalms 138:8 - "The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands."

"Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD." - Psalms 138:5

"The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands." - Psalms 138:8

"The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands." - Psalms 138:8

"In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, [and] strengthenedst me [with] strength in my soul." - Psalm 138:3

I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. Psalms 138:1

"In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, [and] strengthenedst me [with] strength in my soul." - Psalm 138:3

Psalms 138:2 - "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."

I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. Psalms 138:1

I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. Psalms 138:1

I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. Psalms 138:1

Psalms 138:7 - "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me."

"All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth." - Psalms 138:4

"I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee." - Psalms 138:1

"Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off." - Psalms 138:6

Psalms 111:3 - "His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever."

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me." - Psalms 138:7

Psalms 88:3 - "For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave."

Psalms 103:3 - "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;"

Psalms 87:3 - "Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah."

Psalms 67:3 - "Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee."

Psalms 116:3 - "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow."