March 30

Psalm 91

What is Psalm 91 talking about?

Psalm 91 is a Bible Psalm of the Old Testament. The Psalm talks about God's protection in times of trouble. It is believed to be written by King David during a war situation where he was hunted down by his enemies. Psalm 91 offers the hope that God will protect us and keep us safe from harm, especially when we are in difficult situations.

Psalm 91

Psalm 91 NIV - New International Version

1" Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust.

Surely he will save you

    from the fowler’s snare

    and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,

    and under his wings you will find refuge;

    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,

    nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

    nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side,

    ten thousand at your right hand,

    but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes

    and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”

    and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10 no harm will overtake you,

    no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you

    to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;

    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;

    I will be with him in trouble,

    I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him

    and show him my salvation.

Psalm 91 KJV - King James Version

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Psalm 91 NKJV - New King James Version

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust.”

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler

And from the perilous pestilence.

He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

You 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 your side,

And ten thousand at your right hand;

But it shall not come near you.

Only with your eyes shall you look,

And see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,

Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

10 No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways.

12 In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,

The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him,

And show him My salvation.”

What are the benefits of Psalm 91 in my life?

Psalm 91 is a powerful prayer for seeking and finding the Lord's protection. It gives you the assurance to stay in the presence of God. God has given us all the tools we need to face fear and gain inner peace. One of them is this psalm.

Ways to use Psalm 91 in your daily life

It begins by telling us to whom this protection belongs: "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High rests in the shadow of the Almighty."After establishing protection, the Psalm points out specific ways to use this psalm for protection. It says that those who "walk in his ways" will be safe. This phrase refers to the commandments of God. The psalmist goes on to write, "I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress.' My God, in him will I trust." This is saying that they have no reason to fear because God is their protector. Another way the Psalm can be used is to bless and praise.

Using Psalm 91 in prayer

Pray the entire Psalm! Use it in daily prayer to strengthen your spirit.

Every word of the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and has power and meaning. Don't neglect verses because you think they are irrelevant. You are taking verses out of context and this is done far too often today. Read the Psalm from beginning to end. It was written for a situation like this. The psalm will help you to see things from a different perspective and possibly understand other people's fears. In turn, you can use this insight to pray for friends and family.

Making Psalm 91 a personal prayer

Now how can you apply a Bible text like this to your situation and make it your own personal prayer?

Apply the verses in the 2nd person!

When Psalm 91 says that God (He) will protect you from a deadly disease, you may not feel personally addressed enough. Address God as a friend and phrase His promise in the 2nd person. So, "You, God, protect me from a terminal illness."

Emphasize your own personal challenges!

Not everyone struggles with the same challenges. Emphasize the verses that speak to you personally the most.  Take a few minutes to go deep into conversation with God here and voice your concerns. But also listen to what God says in response. Times of silence is part of prayer.


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