“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.”
Psalm 91:1-2

Last night we had a nasty line of thunderstorms rolled through our region. Nothing like what the folks on the east coast are experiencing, but one could see from the radar that it was going to be a very bumpy ride. Indeed, it was.

I live on the family farm that is home to several old buildings including a large barn and many old oak trees. All of these are vulnerable to significant wind, rain, and/or snow. So, it’s not uncommon for me to pray over the property as storms approach. Last night, I prayed that the storm would fizzle out or split and go around us. It didn’t fizzle out; but it did split, and it did go around us.

The bulk of the storm, that is, went around us. In fact, I prayed that same prayer for Melissa, who lives in a neighboring town. Guess what? The storm split around her, too, and the big blob of the storm passed right between us. There are lots of trees and downed power lines all around us, but we were relatively unscathed despite incredible wind, rain, and hail.

This isn’t the first time this type of thing has happened. In fact, I have grown confident that God indeed can protect me from storms. I have seen nasty storms just simply disappear as they loomed over. I have seen big, long clouds suddenly split and go around us. It’s amazing!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not Jesus and can’t command the weather to obey, but I can call on my Father to protect me and my property. I am confident that he hears me, not just because he has promised he would (Hebrews 4:16) but also because I have seen him respond to my prayer.

Am I arrogant to say that God spared my farm because I prayed for him to? Some would say so. Others would say I’m a nut job. Who am I kidding? Some indeed do say that about me. But, am I being arrogant? Not if I’m giving all the credit to God. Should I hide the fact that he answered my prayer? Heavens no! I am a child of His and enjoy special favor. That is a fact. To hide that from a sick and dying world is akin to denying God, or so it would seem to me.

Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Why wouldn’t God respond favorably to my prayer for protection? Why wouldn’t I ask for it? I would be a fool if I didn’t. Now, that doesn’t mean that he will indeed answer as I ask. God often brings his children through difficult storms, even to the point of death. Even then, he protects them with eternal life. I have no reason not to ask.

Psalm 91 is a powerful tool for prayer. It is one I use when things get bad. I take my time, going through verse by verse and reminding God that this psalm is a promise by him to those who dwell in his shelter and abide in his shadow. Spend time studying this psalm. You’ll be amazed at the power God’s own word has when we claim it as a promise.

My sister lives near Miami. My mother and I prayed for her protection last year and this as big hurricanes bore down. Last year, the bad weather stopped one block away from her. I kid you not. You could see it on the radar. It was almost like a magnetic force pushed it away. This year, Dorian was expected to hit her square, but it is sliding to the north. Our claim?

Psalm 91:9-1 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.

My sister is not a professing believer. However, both our mother and I claim her as part of our “tent.” She’s family. She may live 2,000 miles away, but she’s still part of my household.

Yes, I am amazed that two hurricanes have missed her, but I’m no longer surprised that such a thing can happen. Was our prayer the reason my sister was spared? Here’s the thing. We prayed and she was spared. We know God hears our prayer. We also know that not one raindrop falls without God’s knowledge. Yes, he probably has a million people praying about the storm; can I honestly say he answered MINE?

How can I NOT say that he has?

People will say that it is impossible to believe that God answered MY prayer. Folks, I find it hard to believe that he won’t. Listen, even atheists pray in crisis. Does God hear their prayer? I don’t know what you think, but I’ve been reading the prophets lately and there is plenty of reason to say that He not only doesn’t but that He WON’T. On the other hand, there is TONS of scripture as a promise that He will hear mine, a child of his.

Think about these things.

Oh, I should tell you that I did lose one tree, an old birch. It fell and just the top of it brushed against the house. No damage. I found it amusing. It was as if God left his signature. The tree could have fallen on the house and damaged it. It didn’t. My neighbors have lots of downed trees. I can hear chainsaws in all directions as people are clearing debris. No, I am positive that God protected this property.

Father, thank you! Amen.

Copyright © 2019 Scott Powers