Psalm 91

Yesterday I was listening to Terri Savelle Foy and I really liked her idea to personalize Psalm 91 as a family prayer of protection during this unprecedented time in history. As I share it with all of you, I must stress that this Psalm is not a “charm” or incantation for protection from some God up there in the sky. It is a prayer and a declaration of trust in a personal God and holy Father. I can pray this prayer and declare it over my family because I know the God of whom I speak, and He knows me. We have a personal and intimate relationship. He chose me and adopted me into His family and clothed me with righteousness so that I can walk with Him and talk with Him and cast all of my cares on Him. I go to Him when I’m happy and I go to Him when I’m sad. When I have a need I call Him and He answers me – not always the way I want or expected, but He answers.  When I’m happy I praise Him. When I’m not so happy I still praise Him because He is worthy regardless of my situation. He is my Father and I am His child; therefore, I have a right to come before Him in prayer and declare Him to be my refuge and fortress. 

If you don’t know Him for yourself, I invite you to get to know Him. Simply talk to Him and admit your need for Him. Ask Him to come into your life and make you His own. Ask Him to cover you in righteousness through His Son, Jesus and fill you with His Holy Spirit so that you can begin to live for Him. Ask Him to cover you and protect you. You are His child, created in His image and likeness and He longs to have a personal relationship with you. It can all be yours just for the asking…(This is where you pause and have that conversation.)

Now that you belong to Him, take this prayer and make it your own. Put your family’s name where mine currently is and print it out and read it – out loud – often. I’m praying for you and rejoicing with you. We will get through these times.

Psalm 91 Prayer

The Horton family dwells in the secret place of the Most High
And abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
We will say of the Lord, “He is our refuge and our fortress;
Our God, in Him we will trust.”

Surely He shall deliver us from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover us with His feathers,
And under His wings we shall take refuge;
His truth shall be our shield and buckler.

We shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at our side,
And ten thousand at our right hand;
But it shall not come near us.
Only with our eyes shall we look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

Because we have made the Lord, who is our refuge,
Even the Most High, our dwelling place,
No evil shall befall us,
Nor shall any plague come near our dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over us,
To keep us in all our ways.

In their hands they shall bear us up,
Lest we dash our feet against a stone.
We shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent we shall trample underfoot.

“Because they have set their love upon Me, therefore I will deliver them;
I will set them on high, because they have known My name.
They shall call upon Me, and I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble;
I will deliver them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them,
And show them My salvation.”