Praying Psalm 91

First Sunday of Lent

~~~ Deuteronomy 26:4-10 ~~~ Psalm 91 ~~~

~~~ Romans 10:8-13 ~~~ Luke 4:1-13 ~~~

Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

Psalm 91 is often prayed by our military men and women.

Why would the church give us this message at the beginning of Lent?

Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

Jesus found himself in what might be considered

his own personal storm.

The devil executed his strategic plan...

tempt Jesus when he was alone and seemingly most vulnerable.

Jesus did have a support system.

The devil thought he was isolated with no support system.

Jesus had the strongest support...

he had God the Father and the Holy Spirit

by his side.

The devil waited until Jesus was hungry

thinking that was his best opportunity.

The devil was wrong.

The devil is no match for Jesus,

 the Father and the Holy Spirit are one with him.

Some years ago the pine bark beetle took advantage 

of a weakness caused by the serious drought.

The devil is like the pine bark beetle...

he waits patiently until until we are caught off guard.

The devil waits until we are vulnerable...caught

 in our own personal storm.

This is when he chooses to burst into our heart.

Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

He puts crazy thoughts into your head.

He toys with you faith.

He may even try to convince you that God has abandoned you.

He may attempt to make you believe that God

 is the cause of your troubles.

“everyone who calls on the name

 of the Lord will be saved.”

Praying with the words of psalm 91 fortifies our soul,

giving us the strength to stand up against the devil.

Valentine's Day traditionally celebrates love...

Love does not waiver confronted with the devil.

Love is the key...to resisting evil.

Love of God.

Trusting that the love of God will keep

 our eyes and heart fixed on Jesus.

Believe God is with you at all times.

Pray with Psalm 91. It will bring you comfort.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Prayer of Protection

~~~ Genesis 28:10-22A ~~~ Psalm 91 ~~~ Matthew 9:18-26 ~~~

 In you, my God, I place my trust.

Jacob had a dream...in his dream 

he sees a staircase leading up to heaven.

In his dream God's messengers 

were going up and down the stairs;

God was standing beside Jacob.

Jacob was at the site of a shrine built of stones.

Since he had rested his head upon one of the stones

it took on special significance for him.

Jacob took the stone,

 set it up as a memorial pouring oil upon it.

He realized the presence of God on that spot.

When we dedicate a new altar we continue this pouring of oil ritual.

It signifies our recognition of the presence of God.

The altar is being set apart as holy, 

a place where God will come.

Know that I am with you;

I will protect you wherever you go...

Psalm 91 is often used when praying for our troops.

Today join me in praying Psalm 91 for all of our armed forces.

This psalm promises protection and blessings from God.

There are many resources available for this psalm.

If you have any loved one on active duty

this is a powerful way to pray for them.

Place the name of your loved one 

when praying this psalm.

So often we feel that there is nothing 

we can do for those who are away on active duty.

This psalm empowers you by carrying your loved one to God.

Learning to trust in God means we must

 become actively involved.

Trusting in God is not a passive state of the soul.

Pray psalm 91 out loud...let it resonate deep within your heart.

Trust that God hears your prayer.

His grace is sufficient...

He Blesses you in times of need.

~~~Peace~~~

911: The Prayer for Protection

~~~ Genesis 28:10-22a ~~~ Psalm 91 ~~~ Matthew 9:18-26 ~~~

 

In you, my God, I place my trust.

 

Psalm 91 has a message for each one of us...

personal, parents, military, firefighters, police officers.

When we are faced with danger this psalm is prayed most often.

 

The Lord is the only one who can offer protection in all circumstances.

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty...

 

If you are in the shadow of the Almighty you are near to him.

A shadow is near to that which is blocking the light.

Even though one appears to be in darkness God remains near.

 

If we cannot see the light of the Lord, then standing in his shadow

 is to be close to him.

 

Psalm 91 is a prayer of protection that has been prayed

by many throughout the ages.

It is prayed in times of danger. It is prayed when we are tempted to despair.

It is often called the 'soldier's prayer'.

 

Until today I never connected our emergency call number

 of 911 to this psalm of protection.

Could this, psalm 91:1, have been on the minds and hearts of those

who chose our emergency number?

I do not know, but today I see the connection.

 

In times of temptation we should recall this psalm to give us the necessary strength

to resist...to be strong

Under his wings you are covered from danger; you are protected.

God draws us closer to be near to him...to trust in his protection...

to trust when we are presented with hopeless situations.

 

 

We may not know for certain who composed this psalm,

some believe Moses,

but we can be sure it was inspired by God.

 

God wants us to rely on him for all things in our life.

We see strong evidence of this in the gospel reading today from Matthew.

The suffering woman and the official who's daughter had died

 relied on Jesus for healing and protection.

The woman had spent much of her life seeking a cure

only to face more disappointment.

Each time she was able to grasp on to hope

 it was quickly dashed as the hemorrhaging continued.

 

The official knew of his daughter's death, but he still approached Jesus for help.

He had extreme faith and trust in the healing power of Jesus.

 

Because he clings to me, I will deliver him....

...I will be with him in distress.

 

Comfort is available for those who believe the Lord is with them.

In times of great danger and distress

 the presence of God does bring comfort and peace.

 

In those times when death seems evident

the words of this psalm gives one

strength in knowing that God is with them.

The God who saves...the God who raises up the lowly.

The God of psalm 91

 is the God of divine protection.

 

I invite you to pray for those who have lost their lives

 in combat and as first responders.

The God of psalm 91 grant them shelter in the shadow of your wings.

Dear Lord, give the surviving family members your peace.

 

The blessings today come in trusting in God.

 

In you, my God, I place my trust.

Beware: Too Good to be True

First Sunday of Lent



Deuteronomy 26:4-10~~Psalm 91~~~Romans 10:8-13~~~Luke 4:1-13

 

Lent begins with Jesus going away to fast and pray for 40 days.

The devil takes advantage of his isolation and tries

 to work his evil temptations on Jesus.

 

'Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,
to be tempted by the devil.'

 

You undoubtedly have experienced your thought processes

 being clouded when you are hungry.

You can also become grouchy and more likely to be vulnerable.

Jesus was human so the devil thought he had a chance

to make Jesus listen to his lies.

The devil grossly underestimated who he was dealing with that night.

Jesus had the reinforcements from the one who sent him;

God the Father.

  

Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

 

The words of psalm 91 gives us the assurance

that God has given his angels to guard over us.

When Jesus was tempted he did not hesitate to call on his Father.

We must teach ourselves to make calling on the Father for protection a habit.

We must practice this way of praying when we are not in the throws of temptations.

 

 

 

God is closer than you might think...right in your heart. 

 

The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart—that is, the word of faith that we preach— 

 

God will not abandon or forsake you when you call on him.

 

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

When the devil is placing before you a picture too good to be true

listen to the small voice of truth inside. 

The word of the Lord is spirit and truth.

The devil may not be able to outsmart Jesus,

but we must be vigilant to his trickery.

 

The Lord is near to all who call on him.

Lord, your presence in my life makes it more likely

 that I will be able to call for your assistance.