Introduction
God’s Word overflows with His promises. However, it’s our job to pull the trigger and personally claim what Jesus has won for us. As a believer, He has qualified you for blessings like this one:
"You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives." Exodus 23:25-26 (NLT)
If ever there was a time we should be praying this promise, it’s today. God’s promises include personal protection and a healthy, growing family—regardless of what gets into our food or water supply or what we might breathe in through our lungs. The question is, are you standing up and declaring these promises in prayer, believing they’re yours?
Let’s look at another promise. Psalm 91:16 says God will reward us with long life and give us His salvation. These are personal promises to you and me, but a promise is useless unless you take the authority you’ve been given and speak it over your life.
I want to challenge you to learn God’s promises of protection for you. In this eBook, we’re going to unpack Psalm 91, because once you understand what it holds for you, it will change your life.
The more convinced you become of God’s trustworthy promises, the more you’ll stand up and confidently declare, “Because of Jesus, they are all mine!”
Your Words Determine Your Position
If you want to be in someone’s shadow, you have to get close to them. So if you want to be in God’s shadow and dwell in His shelter, get to know God. It’s not that you’re trying to earn the right to be next to Him. You have that right in Christ, so it simply means to move closer to Him by reading His Word to discover His character and values.
Psalm 91:1 begins by showing us that we need to place ourselves in God’s protection and blessing.
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.” Psalm 91:1-2 (NKJV)
Notice how the second verse begins. It says, “I will say of the Lord.” This is important. It doesn’t say, “I will think,” or “I will believe of the Lord.” Thinking and believing are important too, but this verse brings out the power of our words.
Why do you need to say that God is your refuge, your fortress, your God in whom you trust? It’s not because God forgot it or He’s reluctant. No! As you speak God’s Word out loud, you deal with fear and misbeliefs. You establish the Word deep in your heart.
And when your heart begins to become established in the Word, faith rises and miracles happen.
Living under God’s protection is simple. Just keep getting to know Him and speak His promises of protection and provision over your life. Say, “You are my refuge and fortress, Father. I’m safe in Your protection!”
Hidden Dangers
Are you ever afraid that you’re going to fall into a dangerous situation you didn’t see coming? Psalm 91:3-4 says that God will protect you not only from things you see coming at you, but also from the things you don’t see.
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. Psalm 91:3-4 (NKJV)
God will save you from being ensnared, says verse 3. A snare is a type of trap which uses a noose made of wire or cord, hidden where you can’t see it. Even when danger is hidden from you, you can be protected!
It also says that He saves you from deadly pestilences—sicknesses and diseases. You have no reason to fear cancer or the newest virus being talked about on the news. Of course you should treat your body right, exercise and eat healthy foods, but you don’t have to live in fear. You can turn to God’s protection!
The next verse says that God will cover you with His feathers. Under His wings you will find refuge, and His faithfulness will be your shield and buckler. What picture is being painted here? You could think of an eagle protecting its little ones, but you could also picture God’s protection like giant wings wrapping around you everywhere you go!
Psalm 91 creates beautiful pictures of God’s loving protection of us, His kids. Claim these verses today: “Thank You Father that You protect me from hidden danger and from sickness and disease. I’m surrounded by Your protection everywhere I go!”
Nothing to Fear
Psalm 91 is an incredible piece of Scripture that speaks of God’s loving protection of us, His kids.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Psalm 91:5-6 (NKJV)
Verses 5 and 6 talk about the fear that tends to hit us at night. Fear and worry often seem to be at their worst when we’re trying to sleep. When we’re going through something, we might not think about it much throughout the day, but as soon as our head hits the pillow and there are no other distractions, our minds can tend to fill with anxious thoughts.
If this ever happens to you, you need to know that you have nothing to fear. You can claim Psalm 91’s promise that you’re under God’s incredible protection!
In fact, this promise covers every source of fear. Today the word terror can also make us think of terrorist activity, but verse 5 is saying that you don’t need to live in fear. Claim this promise today. Say, “Thank You Father that I don’t need to worry or be afraid. I can sleep like a baby because I have Your protection!”
Then verses 7 and 8 say, "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."
You can claim this promise too: “No matter how bad things get around me, it will not come near me because You’re protecting me, Father. Thank You!"
God Will Never Let You Down
Is it always God’s will to heal? Yes. Is it always God’s will to protect? Yes. Is it always God’s will to bless? Yes. Is it always God’s will to save someone? Yes.
So… how come it doesn’t always happen? Why do we lose loved ones? Why do situations sometimes go badly even after we’ve prayed?
I can’t tell you why in every case, but we have a choice to make. We can’t stop believing God’s Word just because our circumstances don’t always match up with what it says. We need to choose to believe.
This planet has its share of trouble and sometimes bad things happen, but our God will never let us down. If something doesn’t work out the way you had hoped, you may not know why… but you can be sure it isn’t because God wanted it to go badly. God is good all the time!
Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. Psalm 91:9-10 (NKJV)
No matter what, keep claiming God’s Word. Psalm 91:9 says that you can make the Lord your refuge and dwelling place. How? Go back to verse 2: "I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress'" (emphasis mine).
When you believe and claim God’s promises out loud over your life, it has a powerful effect. Not only does your faith grow because you’re influencing the deepest beliefs of your heart, which Proverbs 4:23 says are creating your life, but when you speak God’s Word, angels listen.
Claim verse 9 today. Say, “Father, I believe and declare that You are my refuge and my dwelling. And I’m claiming Your promise today that no harm will overtake me and no disaster will come near my home. Thank You!”
Guarded in All Your Ways
Isn’t it incredible that we have the ability to claim God’s promises over our lives and begin to walk in all of His awesome blessings?
For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Psalm 91:11-13 (NKJV)
According to Psalm 91:11, you can say, “Thank You Father for commanding Your angels to guard me in all my ways. I claim this promise over myself and my family now and for generations to come!”
Psalm 91:13 goes on to say that we as believers are so protected, we could even handle lions and poisonous snakes and not be harmed. It’s hard to believe, but some Christians deliberately take chances with poisonous snakes as a sign of their faith. But this verse isn’t telling us to take silly chances with our safety.
What it’s saying in a beautiful picturesque way is that you don’t have to be afraid for your family. Don’t lie awake at night worrying. You don’t have to allow that fear to grow. Know that if you or your family happen to come across something dangerous, you have God’s protection.
And based on verses 14 to 16, you can also say, “I love You, Father. Thank You for rescuing and protecting me and my family. When we call on You, You answer us. You are with us in times of trouble, and You deliver us. You give us long lives and salvation! Give us the wisdom we need to follow Your lead. Thank You!”
Conclusion
When you speak God’s promises, which are yours as a believer because of Jesus, you are in agreement with what has been promised to you. As you begin to believe, you begin to walk out those promises in your life.
You don’t receive God’s promises just because Jesus died for them. You need to believe that they are yours, claim them and then walk in them. The same is true with becoming a member of God’s family. Jesus died so we could become children of God, but we don’t become His children automatically. We need to accept Jesus as our Saviour by believing He died for our sins and by confessing Him as our Lord. This is what causes the greatest miracle to happen—the miracle of new life on the inside of you.
In a similar way, God’s promises are yours, but you need to believe and claim them as yours. And as you speak those promises over your life in faith, you begin to walk them out.
And the angel said to him, Your prayers and your [generous] gifts to the poor have come up [as a sacrifice] to God and have been remembered by Him. Acts 10:4 (AMPC)
In your prayer time, claim God’s promises! You can pray for the friends and family you have today, and you can also pray for those to come in the future. If you’re not married, pray for your future spouse. Pray for future kids or grandchildren and their future spouses. The effects of your prayers transcend space and time. Start by claiming Psalm 91:11-12 today: “Thank You Father for commanding Your angels to guard me and my family in all our ways!”
