Over the years, in the
Ananda Healing Prayer Ministry, I have recommended
Psalm 91 for people who needed protection. One time it was a for a couple facing a very unfair lawsuit, in which they stood to lose everything. Psalm 91, recited daily, was a source of strength and comfort. (In the end the case was settled peacefully.)
I have been wanting to write about it for some time, and make available a free recording of Psalm 91 (
below). I got the nudge I needed this morning when, after meditation
*, I opened the
Second Coming of Christ (written by
Paramhansa Yogananda) and found this brief reference to
Psalm 91:
"One who finds within himself that "secret place of the most high" becomes suffused with supreme happiness and divine security...God's Kingdom is within you..." (The Second Coming of Christ, The Resurrection of the Christ Within You, p. 1187 )
These words reminded me, once again, that the highest realm of divine protection is in God union. Not quite there yet? Then invoke the power of those holy ones who
are united with God's Presence.
This psalm, and all the psalms, are best understood from this perspective.
"Soldier's Psalm"
There are numerous miraculous stories attributed to Psalm 91, many of them from soldiers. Where does this protective power come from? The highest level comes from God union, Paramhansa Yogananda states above. In addition, Edgar Cayce, the renowned psychic, said that Jesus Christ led his apostles through Psalm 91 at the end of the
Last Supper, to protect his apostles from harm on Good Friday. It was his time to go - but not yet their time.
Christ's blessing further imbued the psalm with divine power. You can call on His divine protection as you recite Psalm 91, for you are His child.
A few years ago, Jeff B., from Wyoming, was due to return to Iraq for his 3rd tour of duty. He was a big, strong, brave and capable young man, and the commander of a large group of Special Forces. And he was the son of Jack B., a longterm member on the
Ananda Healing Prayer Council. Jeff felt strangely vulnerable this time at the thought of returning to Iraq. His father, a deeply intuitive and prayerful man, hadn't worried about him on his first two tours of duty. But when he called me, I realized, even after he spoke only a few words, that he wasn't sure if he would see his son alive again.
Sometimes we go through times of karmic vulnerability. It doesn't mean we
must meet our doom at that time, but it may mean we are much less likely to avoid catastrophe. Since Jeff could not avoid going back to Iraq, we needed to strengthen his aura and faith with any tools he would accept. His father was a devotee of Paramhansa Yogananda, but Jeff was a regular Wyoming guy. He believed in Jesus, deep down, but nothing too fancy or metaphysical.
I put Jeff on the healing prayer list to the whole group - about 600 people.
I also told his Dad about Soldier's Psalm, and it's reputed protection. He gave it to Jeff, who was ready to leave for Iraq. He received it gratefully. The biggest miracle may be that Jeff got most of his men to recite it daily. (A few blew him off; remember - these are the tough guys: Special Forces.)
Several seeks later, Jeff called his Dad from Iraq, and said, "Dad, I need a new watch."
His Dad replied, "What? I just got you that watch! What happened?"
Jeff: "I can't tell you on the phone, but I'll explain later."
It turns out that Jeff led his group on a very dangerous mission that day, going door to door in a dense, dangerous area, looking for terrorists. Suddenly there was an intense fire fight in a tight alley, and from shooters above them. Such conditions normally create many fatalities. Miraculously, only one soldier from the group was killed. It is always a deep tragedy, but it was a battle, after all.
Jeff, as commander, was normally the one to be right out in front, leading his men. He's just that kind of guy. They were taking cover behind one of their trucks, and in the excitement, the driver reversed the truck - right on to Jeff's wrist! He was pinned there! So, in a moment when Jeff would have normally thrown himself into intense battle, he simply had to lay there!
That was the karmic moment, I believe. It appears that much was mitigated through the psalm, healing prayers, and his father's love and prayers. He lost the watch, but not the arm (and not his life) - by God's grace. He was kept from harm.
Jeff showed great faith in God by doing the psalm, and also by getting his men to do it, too. Life is a school, and sometimes we barely know which lessons we are being tested on. God knows the full score, but I am guessing Jeff did very well.
Listen to Psalm 91
right here
Psalm 91; Divine Protection (often called the “Soldier’s Psalm”)click link aboveThou Art With Me CD; Voice:
Tim Kretzmann;
Music: "Brave Were The People" by
Swami KriyanandaThe Holy Bible: King James Version
Psalm 91
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD,
He is my refuge and my fortress:
my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,
and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers,
and under his wings shalt thou trust:
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night;
nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness;
nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side,
and ten thousand at thy right hand;
but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold
and see the reward of the wicked.
9 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 honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him,
and show him my salvation.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
* For further inspiration:
Watch this lovely 5 minute movie/meditation:
The Gift of Inner Peace*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Posts
