Psalms 91 Prayer Guide

salms 91 is perhaps the most famous psalm outside of Psalms 23. It is a psalm of divine protection. When prayed effectively with faith, it has the potential to release God’s complete peace upon your life. When facing a crisis, praying Psalms 91 will combat any fearful thought or emotion. Today, our goal is to effectively walk through the entire Psalm together aiming to guide ourselves into the arms of God’s divine promises over your life.  

To do this, we have broken down the entire passage down verse by verse. Further, we have broken down each verse into two main sections: the prayer and the prayer point. The first section is the actual prayer that you can pray, most often it will be the exact verse. Then we will offer some contextual framework around the verse that will be both theological and practical. Again, the point is not to raise your theological knowledge (although that is important), but to position you towards an encounter of faith.  

Prayer Guide: Psalms 91:1-2 

Pray through this verse: 

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalms 91:1-2)

Prayer Point: 

The psalmist begins by declaring the virtue of a personal relationship with the presence of God. This is not a theological point, it’s an invitation to the abiding presence of God. God’s presence is a dwelling place for every believer. It’s not a destination only, and it’s not a one-time feeling. It's the abiding glory of God bestowed on believers.

As you begin to pray, understand that if you are born again then you are connecting to the presence of God. As a flower cannot grow without sunlight, so a believer cannot grow without the radiance of Gods presence in your life.  

Anyone can say this verse and start a prayer. What is important is to understand that words fall to the ground without the abiding presence of God. When you being to pray, invite the power of the Holy Spirit to come into your life and to lead you into divine understanding.

Psalms 91:3-4

Pray through this verse:

“For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.” (Psalms 91:3-4)

Prayer Point:

This scripture implies that even if we, while walking with God, we have found ourselves trapped by the schemes of the enemy, God will deliver us. This is a main reason you are praying. Through prayer, you are making yourself aware that you have been caught off guard by the enemy. Maybe you have been trapped through hurt feelings, or what a person has said about you, or a financial issue, whatever the issue may be, God will deliver you.  

If you have found yourself caught in a “snare” or a spiritual trap, God will deliver you. Embrace this reality as you begin to declare it over your life. Once you begin to have peace about your snares, begin to pray for wisdom over your family. Maybe someone has been trapped in an abusive relationship, or is battling depression, whatever the case may be, pray for God’s deliverance and declare that God will deliver them from the snare! Meditate on the reality that God is faithful! As the psalms declares, God’s faithfulness is a shield and a buckler. Begin to declare that God’s faithfulness will shield you from the snare of the enemy and will deliver you from any trap the enemies tries to lay at your feet.

Psalms 91:5-6

Pray through this verse:

“You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.” (Psalms 91:5-6)

Prayer Point:

One of the greatest enemies of your prayer life is fear. Fear will keep you from faithfully declaring God’s Word over your life and will attempt to govern your mind. For this reason, in Ephesians 6:17, Paul states that we are to put on the “helmet of salvation.” Jesus has delivered us from the realm of faith and transferred us into the kingdom of faith. Because of this, we do not have to fear any anxious thought that comes our way by night, nor any arrow by day. No matter what time it is, God has provided a way for our minds to be covered. How do we cover it? We have to put on the helmet ourselves and solidify our minds in God's Word.

Psalms 91:7-8

Pray through this verse:

“A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.” (Psalms 91:7-8)

Prayer Point:

This is a promise in Scripture. When you are active in prayer and in faith, God declares that although those around you may be falling, you will not. As with any promise in scripture, it is completely conditional. Meaning, you have to do your part. When you stand up against the plans of the enemy in your life and declare God’s promises over you, you are waging war against the powers of darkness. For more on this, I encourage you to read my post on spiritual warfare here. But for now, I think it is important to mention that when Jesus was being tempted in Matthew 4, one of the passages of Scripture that the devil used was in Psalms 91. Just stop and think about that for a second. The devil, the great deceiver, was quoting the Bible. How can this be?

Know this today. Anyone can say a verse from the Bible. If you are quoting scripture with no faith, well, even the devil can do that. It’s not about quoting scripture, it’s about understanding that God has laid a promise in Scripture before you to claim. Stand united with God and declare His promises in faith that even if the circumstances around you are bleak, God will rescue you! The point of prayer is to understand there is an exchange happening. When you pray, you exchange your fear for faith. Without the exchange, you are leaving shoving spiritual mandate out of the door. God has much more for you! In order to realize the fullness of His promises, you have to do your part. Give God something to work with, pray in faith!

As you pray through this, declare divine protection over your families, your home, your friends and your nation.  

Psalms 91:9-10

Pray through this verse:

“Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place the Most High, who is my refuge no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.” (Psalms 91:9-10)

Prayer Point:

What an incredible promise that we have in Scripture. God promises that no evil is allowed to destroy you and no sickness is allowed to come near your household. However, you must remember - this promise is reserved for those who have made God their “dwelling place.”  

Many Christians believe in God but have many other dwelling places. In other words, they go to church on Sundays but when a crisis occurs in their life, they find other places of security. Those who have made God their dwelling place find their security in God alone, not not in the circumstances around them.

When you pray, proclaim that God is your only dwelling place. Ask for the Holy Spirit to reveal to you if there are other dwelling places that you are running to besides God. As you listen, faithfully declare that you will only seek refuge in God alone. After you repent and make God your dwelling place, begin to declare this scripture over your family. Come into agreement that God has promised no evil will befall your children or your family. Do not stop praying until you feel the peace of God come over your life.

Psalms 91:11-12

Pray through this verse:

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” (Psalms 91:11-12)

Prayer Point:

God has promised divine protection over your life. Carrying out this promise is not accomplished alone, but through the help of the angelic. The word angel in Greek means “messenger.” Angels are God’s divine messengers. They carry out the tasks from God’s voice. If you look at Josephs life (Jesus' earthly father), part of his journey was aided through the angelic. He is not alone, scripture is filled with the people of God being aided by angels. This promise does not stop in Scripture, but is extended to every believer.  

When you pray, understand that God is releasing divine activity to cover you and your household. He is commanding angels concerning your situation. They will guard you in all of your ways.  

Prayer Guide: Psalms 91:13-14

Pray through this verse:

“You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him, I will protect him, because he knows my name.” (Psalms 91:13-14)

Prayer Point:

In the Old Testament, God was continuously let down by the people of God not knowing Him or understanding His ways. Throughout each book, God's people misrepresented him by their lack of knowledge. In Hosea 4:6, God declares, “my people perish for their lack of knowledge.”  

We are called to know God personally, not just to know things about Him. By knowing him, we understand that we have been given authority to tread on the enemy.  

As you pray, begin to declare that you want to know God more on a personal level. Understand that through Jesus, you now have been given the authority to tread on the enemy.

Prayer Guide: Psalms 91:15-16

Pray through this verse:

“When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalms 91:15-16)

Prayer Point:

Understand that when you pray, God hears you. He promises to never leave you and to rescue you from every trap the enemy throws your way. God has set you in a place of honor and authority in His kingdom. Though His covenant, he will prolong your life with good health mentally and physically. 

In closing, pray over your mental and physical health. Come into agreement that God wants to satisfy your life with longevity. Pray this covering over yourself and your family.

Closing Thoughts on Praying Psalms 91

Praying through Psalms 91 will increase your faith and release God’s divine protection into your life. Remember, God loves you and cares for your well being. Today, our aim was to give you practical knowledge on how to pray through Psalms 91. Our prayer is that you take this guide into your prayer closet. Remember, this is just a template designed to give you confidence in knowing what to say when praying. Allow this guide to become a launching pad for your personal prayer walk. Thank you for reading today, God bless you!

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