Prayer of Protection
From Psalm 91
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. 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. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 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. 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; 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. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has 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 I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
Let’s Plant
By Pastor Emily Cunningham
“And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
When we decided to plant a garden this spring, we had to carefully look at each step involved. First, we had to determine where in the yard would be the best spot for our garden plot. Next, because we have puppies, we had to build a fence for protection around the plot. The next step of preparing the ground was very important. We had to rent a rototiller because it was too difficult to do the job with a shovel because of the rocks and grass. Once the ground was prepared, we had to plan where to plant each vegetable or fruit. Some are planted in rows and some are in mounds and so on. After the seeds were planted, we had to mark the rows so that we would remember what was in each row.
Immediately after the planting, we had to begin to water regularly so that the seeds could grow. After a very short time, some of the plants began to shoot up through the ground. Some vegetables took longer than others but they all eventually came up.
Planting into God’s kingdom is exactly the same as planting in the natural setting. First, through prayerful consideration we must determine what type of seed to plant and where to plant our seed, whether it’s a financial seed, a seed of our time, or tangible goods that we offer up to God’s kingdom, being sure that the ground is good, fertile, prepared ground. We have to determine how much to plant and how it should be planted. If we choose, we can keep a record of our seeds planted into God’s kingdom. Next, through prayer, we have to put a hedge of protection around our seed (Mark 12:1). Then we begin to speak the Word of God over our seeds to cause our seeds to spring up and grow. (Leviticus 26:4)
As we reap the harvest, we should make note of the increase. Then we should ask God what portion of the results from the multiplication of the seeds will be seeded back into His kingdom and what portion of the harvest may be used to meet our needs. (Genesis 8:22, Deuteronomy 8:18)