Psalm 91 + Morning Prayer

Good morning, you guys. It's Sunday morning, and I said last week that I would be going live every day, every weekday at 7 AM. But it's Sunday morning, and I'm up early, and it was close to 7, and so I've logged on to my Facebook account, and I've logged on to my Instagram account, and I wanted to just do a little something because it's Sunday. Um, my hope is that wherever you go to church, um, has online services and that you're still able to connect, um, with the people that you fellowship with, that you go to church with, that you're able to connect with people in your small group. Um, and that you're being creative with how to do that. Good morning, Stephanie on Facebook. Melanie Ismael, how are you, girl? It's good to see you. So I just wanted to do something. This is super, super simple. I talked with Jan Greenwood Friday live about how to fight fear and anxiety. If you're on Facebook, hopefully you've seen that in your feed. If you're on Instagram, all you have to do is go to my Facebook and take a look at it. It was an almost 90-minute conversation, but y'all, Jan is so wise and spoke such truth, and you need that in your life. Gonna leave that up for a little bit, but she kept talking about Psalm 91. And all I want to do this morning is just read Psalm 91 over you, and then I want to pray. Now I'm going to read Psalm 91, y'all, in 5 versions. Okay, 5 of them. I'm going to read it 5 times in 5 versions. The Bible talks about— it's in the context of a marriage, and it talks about the husband washing his wife with the word, but The concept there of washing with the word is that the word heard over and over again changes mindsets. It renews your mind and it renews your soul. So I've been going over it and I just thought I'd share it. My mother, um, over our table in our kitchen, and when she would minister to the wives at our church, and when she would minister to pastors' wives all over the world, she would come to the mic because it was time for her to take the mic, y'all, and she would just read, read the scripture. So all I want to do is just read the scripture over you, okay? And then in your own time, I want you to do that. The second thing I'm going to do is to pray for you, but I don't want to be the only one praying. So after I'm finished today, I'm going to give you some special instructions for how we can pray for one another. And then the other thing I would ask you to do, if this is a blessing to you, um, when, when I'm done, is just to share it. Okay? So that way as many people as possible can hear the scripture read to them and can know what we're doing to pray for each other, because you're gonna pray too. I'll tell you how that goes in just a minute. Let me just read Psalm 91 to you. This is the New American Standard Bible. It's the Bible I grew up on hearing in church. 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. For it is he who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. Excuse me, y'all. Excuse me. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you may seek refuge. His faithfulness is a shield, bulwark, You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrows that fly by day, of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right side, but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the Lord my refuge, even the Most High. Your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone. They will tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample on. Because he has loved me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him surely, securely on high because he has known my name. He will call upon me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life, I will satisfy him and let him see my salvation. Psalm 91. This is the Contemporary English Version. Live under the protection of God Most High. And stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful. Excuse me. Then you will say to the Lord, "You are my fortress, my place of safety. You are my God, and I trust in you." The Lord will keep you safe from secret traps and deadly diseases. He will spread his wings over you and keep you secure. His faithfulness is like a shield or a city wall. You won't need to worry about dangers at night or arrows during the day, and you won't fear diseases that strike in the dark or sudden disaster at noon. You will not be ashamed. You will not be harmed. Though thousands fall around you, and with your own eyes you will see the punishment of the wicked, the Lord Most High is your fortress. Run to him for safety, and no terrible disasters will strike you or your home. God will command his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will carry you in their arms, and you won't hurt your feet on the stones. You will overpower the strongest lions and the most deadly snakes. The Lord says, "If you love me and truly know who I am, I will rescue you and keep you safe. When you are in trouble, call out to me. I will answer and be there to protect you and honor you. You will live a long life and see my saving power." This is The Message version. Paraphrase. Read it again, you guys. You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow, say this: God, you are my refuge. I trust in you, and I'm safe. That's right. He rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you. Under them, you're perfectly safe. His arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. Even though others succumb all around and drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses. Yes, because God's your refuge, the High God, your very own home. Evil can't get close to you. Harm can't get through the door. He ordered His angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they'll catch you. Their job is to keep you from falling. You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes and kick young lions and serpents from the path. If you'll hold on to Me for dear life, says God, I'll get you out of any trouble. I'll give you the best of care if you'll only get to know and trust Me. 'Call me and I'll answer. I'll be at your side in bad times. I'll rescue you and then throw you a party. I'll give you a long life. I'll give you a long drink of salvation.' Fourth scripture, same scripture, different version. This is the New Living Translation paraphrase. 'Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I will declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust in him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers; he will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors by night, nor the arrows that fly by day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes and see how the wicked are punished. If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you, no plague will come near your home, for he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras. You will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet. The Lord says, I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call upon me, I will answer. I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation. So it's the same scripture, y'all. This is the 5th time, and this time I'll be reading from the King James Version because many of us, even if we've moved on to other easier-to-read versions, we grew up either reading it in church or this is what we heard. And so there's something about hearing it read in this version, even though it sounds antiquated, that resonates with many of us who grew up in church. So this is King James, same scripture, Psalm 91. 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 God, in him will I trust. Surely he will 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 trust, his truth, shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, or the arrow that flies by day— that flyeth 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. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, and, uh, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder, the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 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. He shall 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. So here's what I want to do, you all. Um, I think that this part in prayer, and you all know this to be true, uh, my hope is that hearing Psalm 91 is comforting to you, but beyond it being comforting to you, my prayer is that it's a scripture that you read over your own household, over the people that you love, over the friends and family that you have. Pray that scripture over you, pray that scripture over the people you love, and read it in any version that resonates with you. The other thing that I want to do is to pray. Now on Facebook, we're gonna pray, and I'm gonna tell you that I'm gonna pray for you. Instagram, I'm gonna pray for you. But here's what we're gonna do. What I want you to start doing on Facebook after I pray, because this post will just stay there, is leave your prayer requests. Okay, but every time you leave a prayer request, we're going to do this after I pray, you look above you. So before you leave your prayer request, above you, reply with a short prayer for the person who left a prayer request above you, then leave yours. So that way, everybody who leaves a specific request gets prayed for. Now on Instagram, here's what we're gonna do. You can do that in the comments as long as this live is there, but I'm going to post this and share it on my feed. So if you don't get to this, the prayer part, before I turn it off, because when I turn it off, the comments in this live feed will disappear. Don't worry, this will reappear in Instagram TV, and then when it does that, you do the same thing. Reply to somebody above you, pray for them, just a short sentence or two, maybe three at the most, and then leave your prayer request. And that way, all day today, the Lord's Day— every day is the Lord's Day, but the day we choose to celebrate and Sabbath corporately— we will be praying for each other. But let me pause and pray for you. Lord Jesus, you know we're here, and you know that many of us have been talking to you on our own. We've been doing that all week long. We've been doing that days and days on end before Corona was even something that we'd heard about. But we're here because we have some very specific requests. Not only do we wanna stay healthy, not only do we wanna stay well, but Lord, in the aftermath of all of the things that are happening in and around our communities, in our homes, in our cities, our states, and in our nation, and around the world. Lord, we're praying, God, and asking you to show up, to show the world who you are. First of all, Lord, we want to thank you for being our God. We know you as Jehovah, Jehovah Rapha, the God who can heal. We also know you as Jehovah Shalom, the God who is our peace. We also know you as Jehovah Tsidkenu, the God who is our banner. You are our covering. And so, God, we want to know you better and more deeply in those ways in these days. Lord God, we thank you because we believe that you are who you say you are. In John chapter 1, you said that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And we know that when we open up your word, when we say Psalm 91 over our homes, over our families, over our friends, over our church, over our country, and in our world, Lord, that when we say that, we're opening up a channel with which we get to know you, to see who you are. Every time we open up the word, that's what's happening. So we just ask, God, that you would show us our glory, just like mountain— that Moses went up on Mount Sinai and you just let him see a little bit of who you are. And when he was in your presence, then his face was full of glory, so much so that everyone else could not ignore that. We ask corporately across the world, but personally in our homes, as we have probably more time than we ever had before because no matter what we do, whether we're working or not, many of us have more discretionary time than we've ever had. We can't go to church, so even if it's just getting dressed to go to church, we don't have to do that anymore. Lord, I just ask— or at least for a while— Lord, I just ask that in this season of quiet, in this season of space, that you would allow us to see your glory, that you would allow us to make the time, convict us to make the time to open up the Bible so that we would know who you are in a new way. Know your comfort, but also know your joy. Know your peace, but also know your power. Lord, I just ask that you would reveal who you are to us. And Lord, I ask that in this season of quiet, when we have more time because we have more space, less busyness, to be aware of your presence, Lord, that you would show us who we are. Show us if there's any way that we have transgressed against you. Show us in any way if there is any sin that we need to deal with. Would you show us how we can walk more in fellowship with you because we are willing to get our sin out of the way, to do what we can as you show us our sin to do that. Lord, we realize that now that even though a lot of us have time, some of us are working harder because we're in healthcare, because we are doing essential tasks. There are people who have never worked so hard in their lives working at the grocery store in our neighborhood, stocking and restocking, coming in early, staying in late, working double shifts, overtime. To be present. Lord, we pray for all of the people who don't have extra disposable time because they work in, um, in industries where they are serving the rest of the world who is trying to stay home. Lord, I pray for protection for the healthcare workers and for those that are checking out groceries at Walmart and Kroger and Publix and all of these different, uh, grocery stores all across our land. Lord, I just ask that for those who are still delivering the mail, still doing what they need to do, that you would protect them. Lord God, I just pray for their peace. I pray for their strength, and I pray if they don't know you, that as we get out as believers and shop, and as we get out as believers and we're at the doctor's offices or in the hospital, that we would be such a light that they can't help but see the peace that comes in the midst of the storm for those who trust and believe in you. Lord, I pray that your presence would be delivered through your people like never before, whether it's doing something like this online with FaceTime or Facebook or YouTube or Instagram, because technology allows your word to go far and beyond into places that maybe people never would have paid attention to will pay attention to. Lord, apart from the technology, would you let us, as we go to Target and Kroger and Walmart and CVS and all of the stores, that we would be the light, that we would share your glory, that we would say Jesus Christ is the reason why we hope. So Lord, with all that said, we know that people are losing income, we know that people are sick, we know that people are concerned, we know that moms are at home not knowing what to what to do with their kids. We know that people are at home trying to figure out how to cook because they've not really done that before. Lord, we understand that there is real hardship, that businesses are closing down. Lord, we understand that families are separated from one another. God, we understand that, that there is, that there is reasonable unrest, and that's why, God, we have to go to your word. But Lord, I pray that you would calm the anxious hearts, that you would still the anxious hands, that you would allow your people who have never understood what it is to speak your word with confidence and power and to believe that you are the rewarder of those who seek you. Whether it be external or internal, you reward, you bring peace, you bring your power. I just ask, God, that for the very real circumstances, you would do what only you could do. Would you make sure that every need is met, that you would make sure that no one is alone, that you would make sure that while we may be with out some things that we will find our hands and our hearts full of so many others. Would you resource your people? Would you cause us, Lord, to search for what we need, whether that be a recipe or a loving voice on the other end of the phone? Would you allow your people to raise their hands and say, "I can help. I have extra toilet paper," or for somebody to raise their hands and say on social media or via a text, "I need some"? Would you allow us to not only be the people that need to be human and kind. Would you allow all of us to rise to a level of higher humanity, whether we are believers or not, but especially for believers? Would you allow us like never before to be selfless, to be, to be giving, to be loving, and to love our neighbors, our literal people who live across the hall, across the street, next door? Would you allow us in safe ways to be your hands feet, because ultimately you said when you have done for the least of these, we will be honoring you. Help us to be your hand and feet because we love you and because we're grateful for what you've done for us. And then, Lord, help us to seek you, as Psalm 91 says, as our shelter, because you— and I've been saying this a lot over the last 2 years— God, you are the the only help we know. Thank you for heaven. I thank you that this world is not our home. I thank you that when hard things do happen, that our hope is in you. So help us remember that when we live and as we live today, we are not living for today. We are not living for this earth. We are not living for what we see. We are living for a land for a time, for a nation that is beyond our physical bodies. Lord, we are so grateful that you came and you died on the cross for our sins to give us the promise of forever fellowship with you. And when this is all over, for thine be the power and the glory and the honor forever. Amen. Okay, y'all, I pray that was a blessing to you. I love Jesus. And I'm grateful. And I'm grateful, y'all, that when stuff is hard, we have some place to go. That's what Psalm 91 is talking about. He who dwells— crack open your Bible— in the shelter, open your mouth and pray of the Most High, will abide in the shadow. You will be covered and protected by the Almighty. I'm gonna say this real quick and then we're gonna pray. Then I'm gonna log off and then y'all gonna pray. For each other. I want to say this. One of the things I will— I'm not gonna cry too much, hold on. One of the things I will forever be grateful for with my mom— I'm not, I'm not gonna play, uh, you know, I will have questions for the rest of my life, but that's it. One of the things I will forever be grateful for is that all the time she was sick, saying she didn't have questions, saying she didn't ask God for his grace, which he did give in many, many ways, even though he decided to take her home. Because she was watching Paul with some— but she kept dousing herself in Scripture. And that answer gave her a peace that passed all understanding. She listened to Scripture. She had my dad read Scripture over her. She read the Scripture. She wrote the Scripture down. And when she could no longer read it herself, write it herself, she had us read it to her, sing songs over her, play music for her. And the Psalm 91, which says when you dwell in the shadow, in the shelter of the mighty, that he is a shadow that is covering you, that you can abide there— that brought her peace. And y'all, most of you who are watching this are not sick. So if God's word can bring my mother peace with a horrible diagnosis and no doctor saying that there was any help. What I'm telling you is it can bring you peace right now. So now is not the time to talk more to people than you were talking to God. Now is not the time to read more things or to be on social media more than you are spending time with God. Now is not the time for you to wait for church on Sunday morning to spend your time with God. And listen, it's Sunday morning. My own church is going live at 10 o'clock on Facebook and YouTube, and I will be watching. But what I'm telling you is— well, I will be a part. I need to get myself together. What I'm telling you is, apart from Sunday morning, apart from the livestream services, this is your time. You've never felt close to God? James 4:8, the Bible says, draw nigh to him and he will draw nigh to you. Now is your time. So if God's word can comfort my mother, and if it is comforting to me apart from this whole situation, I am encouraging you right now to crack open your Bible. And there's no excuse. You need to know what to read. Um, crack open your version and start a Bible study. I know the people that are on my emailing list are going to be getting stuff from me every day. Uh, well, not every day, but often to encourage you practically, practically, practically, practically in the word and what to do. So, um, this is— hopefully this blesses you. Please share it if it's been a blessing to you. I want as many people to hear Psalm 91 read over them as possible. And, um, y'all, every day I will be— I'm trying to figure out everywhere, I'm working to figure it out. Y'all should see my setup right here, but for sure on Facebook for sure on YouTube. And at least I will repost clips on Instagram. I'm trying to figure it out, y'all, because y'all know I love Instagram. So tune in. And if you're not on my email list and want to make sure you know where I'm at and you're getting all the helps, that's easy. Just chrystalhurtz.com, um, because I'd love to help. That's the bottom line. It's what I love to do. So know that, as my dad always says to our church, he always says, I love you with my life. And y'all, I feel the same. I love you with my life. Okay, take care, and I will see you soon. Um, if you don't have a church home to go to this morning, go to OCBF, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, on Facebook. Watch at 10, and on YouTube it is OCBF 76. But if you just search Oak Bible Fellowship, it'll come up. And, um, my siblings and I and my dad We have a word for you, and we're praying over you too during service this morning. All right, y'all, love you. Fake, turn it off.