Psalm 91 in Prayer

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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. —  Psalm 116:1,2

Psalm 91 has always been a favorite psalm to study and pray—especially for soldiers and their families who live with the dangers of war. So it is no surprise that routinely our Sunday evening prayer group uses “The Warrior’s Psalm” for our weekly prayer time.

Let me share five prayers written by our prayer team leader based on this powerful Scripture . . . in order to encourage your heart—and your prayer life:

Psalm 91:1,2—“He who 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.”

Gracious and Perfect Father, Thank You, O Lord, our King and our God, for You are holy and we honor You and bless Your holy name. We thank You for Your word, which is better than life, and we are humbled and blessed to come before Your throne of grace to receive grace and mercy. We bring our soldiers to You this evening . . . that they will rest in You. That they will have You as their refuge and strength. Keep them safe, oh Lord, and go before them. Hem them in behind and before, and watch their steps. Help them to honor You as the Most High God and be their fortress. We pray, too, for the families back home—that they will find their joy, peace, and strength in You, O Lord, our King and Savior. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, Amen.

Psalm 91:3,4—“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.”

Mighty Father, Gracious King, Thank You, Lord, for Your love is better than life. We praise You, O Lord, our King, and honor You as our mighty God. We come before You this evening and pray for our loved ones once again . . . that they will be safe under Your wings; they will find their refuge in You. Father, we pray for all our military in harm’s way. Be their shield and safety and pursue them with Your love. We thank You, Father, for watching over us—upholding us with Your safety and love. We pray for the commanders and leaders that they will have Your wisdom and rely on You for their understanding in each mission they undertake. We pray tonight, too, for all the soldiers in special operations that Your grace will be sufficient for their needs. Thank You, Lord, that You hear our prayers, and we pray all this in accordance with Your will. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Psalm 91:5-8—“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.”

Gracious and Mighty Father, We honor and praise You, O Lord, our King. We thank You for the blessings both spiritual and physical that we enjoy as Your children. We thank You for Your faithfulness and love. You are gracious, compassionate and gentle with us and we are grateful. We lift up our loved ones to You tonight and pray for their continued safety. . . that they will walk in grace, not fear. That Your protection will be evident day and night, and that our soldiers will honor You in speech and action. We thank You, Lord, that You see the evil and thwart it; that You are mightier than any, and nothing happens without Your knowledge. We pray, too, for the families waiting at home, that the time will pass quickly for them, that there will be opportunities for spiritual growth in this time of separation, and that Your love in their lives will shine forth. In the wonderful name, above all names, Jesus, Our Lord and Savior, Amen.

Psalm 91:9-13—”If you make the Most High your dwelling, even the LORD, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.”

Gracious Heavenly Father, Thank You once again for Your grace and sovereign hand in the lives of our loved ones. You are our strength, our refuge, our help in times of trouble and we are grateful. We come to you tonight with thankful hearts, praising You as our King and Lord. We pray for . . . that they would continue to look to You; that they will honor You, dear Lord, in all they do, and Your angels will guard them in all their ways. Keep them from harm and as they carry out their missions, that they would be safe on the ground—in helicopters and in their travel. Thank You, Lord, for the chaplains downrange. We ask for special protection over them, continued grace as they minister to their soldiers spiritually and help morale. We pray for the military leadership to have godly wisdom and discernment as they make decisions. We praise You, O Lord, and thank You once again for hearing and answering our prayers. In Jesus’ holy and mighty name we pray, Amen.

Psalm 91:14-16—“’Because he loves me,’ says the LORD, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.’”

Gracious Heavenly Father, Thank You, O Lord, for Your faithfulness, Your love of us, Your compassions that never fail, and how You hear our prayers. We thank You and praise You for our soldiers who have returned safely. We remember all those still deployed and those families whose service members are getting ready to deploy for 4-9 months or longer. We pray for . . . that You, O Lord, will continue to protect them. We pray our loved ones will acknowledge You; that they will pray to You; that You, O Lord, will be with them each moment. If they need “deliverance” from any sin habit, wrong thinking, or they are discouraged—that we ask that You, Father, will come to their aid. Help them fight any temptations they have for bitterness, discouragement, complaining and the like. Thank You, Lord, for protecting them “before and behind”. Be their rear guard and continue to uphold them with Your mighty right hand. We praise You, O Lord and King. In Jesus’ holy and powerful name we pray, Amen.

Questions to Share:

1. Like a “one-a-day vitamin”, choose five days to pray each of these five prayers for deployed service members and their families whom you know.

2. Take each prayer and modify it to pray for you and your spouse. For example, instead of “Keep them safe, oh Lord, and go before them” . . . pray “Keep us safe, oh Lord, and go before us” or “Keep my husband safe, oh Lord, and go before him.”