Psalm 91: Prayer for Protection

Psalm 91 (Psalm 90 in the Douay numbering) has been called the soldier's psalm and the psalm of protection. It promises that God shelters those who trust in Him, and that He gives His angels charge over them. The Church prays it every Sunday night at Compline, and Christians have carried it into battle, through epidemics, and on dangerous journeys for centuries.

Pray it when you are afraid, before travel, when someone you love is in danger, or at night before sleep. Jesus Himself heard its words quoted during His temptation in the desert, and answered with trust in the Father rather than presumption. The traditional Douay-Rheims text of the opening verses is below.

The Prayer

He that dwelleth in the aid of the most High, shall abide under the protection of the God of Jacob. He shall say to the Lord: Thou art my protector, and my refuge: my God, in him will I trust. For he hath delivered me from the snare of the hunters: and from the sharp word. He will overshadow thee with his shoulders: and under his wings thou shalt trust. His truth shall compass thee with a shield: thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night. Of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee. For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways. In their hands they shall bear thee up: lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Sources: Psalm 90 (91):1-7, 11-12, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.