Anyone who has heard at least once about “Psalm 90” (the text of the prayer is given below) has probably wondered: why is it read? Psalm number 90 is a prayer endowed with enormous power: it can protect from all manifestations of evil and negativity, from unkind people, from evil spirits.
The ninetieth psalm is the strongest amulet. This prayer exhibits its protective properties not only when it is directly pronounced. The function of the amulet “Psalm 90” is well preserved when written by hand on a piece of paper, a piece of leather or fabric. If you carry this “letter” close to your body, it will protect you from any misfortunes and misfortunes, accidents, ill-wishers and enemies, magical and other types of energy influence from the outside.
Mention of “Psalm 90” is found even in the Gospel (Matthew - 4:6; Luke - 4:11). While the Savior was fasting for 40 days in the desert, Satan tempted him. In order not to succumb to demonic machinations, Christ read the 11th and 12th verses of this prayer.
In Western Christianity, the ninetieth psalm is read or sung during evening worship; in the Middle Ages it was a mandatory part of the readings on Good Friday.
And the Eastern Church uses prayer at funerals and memorial services, and “Psalm 90” is an indispensable part of the 6th hour service.
Text of the prayer “Psalm 90”
Download the text of the prayer (printable version)
In Church Slavonic
“Psalm 90” is recommended to be read in Church Slavonic, although there are also translations of the prayer into modern Russian. The reason lies in the fact that during translation it is impossible to convey with absolute accuracy the deep meaning and content of the prayer text, its key idea.
In Church Slavonic, “Psalm 90” reads as follows:
Translation into modern Russian
In the Synodal translation into modern Russian, the text of the prayer “Psalm 90” is as follows:
Stresses in the modern version are read according to the usual rules of the Russian language.
How to read the “Living Help” prayer correctly?
There are several rules that you can adhere to when using the text of the prayer “Alive in Help” in Russian:
- Believers can learn the prayer book by heart.
- Write the text on a separate sheet of paper and always carry it with you, so that in difficult situations you can read it immediately.
- Many people print words on a ribbon that they tie around their waist. It serves as a special amulet.
- You can embroider it on your belt and read the “Living Help” prayer in the right situations.
It is better to follow the rules for reading the prayer:
- Read three times;
- Intonation and voice are important, the latter should be even and quiet;
- After the first reading, you should cross yourself three times and take a short pause.
They say that help will not be long in coming and in difficult times a helping hand will be extended to those in need. Fortunately, the prayer “Alive in the help of the Most High” in Russian is available to all believers.
History of the origin of prayer
“Psalm 90” originates from the biblical book “Old Testament: Psalms” - there it comes under number 90 (hence the name). However, in Masoretic numbering it is assigned number 91. In the Christian religion, this prayer is also known by its first words: in Latin - “Qui habitat”, in Old Slavonic (Church Slavonic) - “Alive in help”.
Regarding the origin of “Psalm 90,” researchers are of the opinion that its authorship belongs to the prophet David. He wrote it in honor of his deliverance from a three-day pestilence. This prayer is also called the “Song of Praise of David” - under this name it appears in the Greek Psalter.
Contents and main ideas of the prayer “Alive in Help...”
Psalm 90 is one of the most powerful prayers. The text of the psalm is permeated with the idea that the Lord is the protector and reliable refuge of all those who believe in him. He convinces us that a person who sincerely believes in God with all his heart may not be afraid of any danger. “Psalm 90” conveys the idea that faith in the Most High has irresistible power. Elements of prophecy can also be found in prayer - it points to the coming of the Savior, who is the most important protector of any believer.
“David’s Song of Praise” is distinguished by expressive poetic language. It has its own clear structure. It can be roughly divided into three parts:
- The first part is verses one and two.
- The second part is verses three to thirteen.
- The third part is verses fourteen to sixteen.
The history of the prayer “Alive in the Help of the Most High”
This prayer is very ancient. It was written a thousand years before the birth of Christ by King David. The life story of this man is very interesting. King David was the seventh child in the family of the poor shepherd Jesse. David began composing his first psalms in his youth, when he was tending sheep. After Saul, the first King of Judah, apostatized from God, the prophet Samuel, at God's direction, made David God's anointed. But the path to the Reign was very long and difficult. During his life he accomplished many feats, the most famous of which was the victory over Goliath. He also had to endure persecution from King Saul.
But years passed and the time of reign came. It was King David who made Jerusalem the capital of the united Jewish state. He is considered the founder of the Psalter, although not all the psalms included in it were written by him.
One of his most famous psalms is Psalm 90, which is widely known under another name: “Living in the Help of the Most High.” It was written by King David on the occasion of the country's deliverance from a terrible three-day pestilence.
Why do they read and what does prayer protect against?
A special feature of prayer is its powerful protective energy. It has been proven that this prayer appeal allows you to protect yourself from all kinds of misfortunes. This prayer has been used since ancient times for any troubles, illnesses and even death. But this prayer is considered most effective in the fight against witchcraft. During the Great Patriotic War, this prayer, which mothers said, saved their sons at the fronts.
Prayer is so powerful that it can be used as a talisman. To do this, you just need to write it on a piece of paper and always carry it with you. There are recorded cases where this psalm healed people from serious illnesses. The blind received their sight, the deaf gained hearing.
This prayer must be read before starting any business. After this, all obstacles to the goal will disappear, and the person will be successful. In addition, if you carry the text of the psalm in your breast pocket, you will be able to easily resolve any controversial issues.
How often to read a prayer to protect yourself from evil
Believers need to read this prayer as often as possible, but the church does not give specific recommendations on this matter. But if you need to heal a bedridden patient, then this psalm must be read over him at least three times. In ancient times, traditional healers often used this method, and they successfully managed to save people from serious illnesses.
This prayer helps against nightmares. In this case, the psalm should be read three times immediately before going to bed. You can do this for a long time until you are confident that you have managed to overcome your internal uncertainty. Believers testify that after reading the prayer, inner peace comes.
The clergy claim that the prayer “Alive in Help” must be learned by heart and fully understood in its entire meaning. If you say the prayer text every time before leaving the house, then you don’t have to be afraid of any external negative influences.
The Power and Effectiveness of Prayer
The prayer “Alive in Help” contains enormous power and its effectiveness increases with repeated repetition. This is understandable, because with sincere prayer, the amount of spiritual energy sent to God increases.
A believer can increase the power of prayer when he accurately imagines what he is asking for. Therefore, when turning to God, you need to visualize events that, in your opinion, should happen in the near future.
At the moment when a person prays, he must find his own style of communication with God. You cannot pray formally, automatically repeating a memorized text. Such a prayer is unlikely to be heard by the Almighty. In this prayer, the ease and naturalness of prayer is very important. We must also remember that one must appear before God without a mask, and in no case should one play any role. You need to pray sincerely and be as you are. Only with this approach will the prayer “Alive in Help” be heard.
Interpretation of the prayer “Psalm 90” and why it is read
Unfortunately, not everyone understands “Psalm 90” without a full interpretation. If we analyze each verse of the prayer, we get the following:
- Those who live under the help of the Lord will be under God's protection. As Saint Athanasius believed, God’s help means the divine commandments that the Lord himself gave to people. Keeping these commandments can protect you from demons and all kinds of misfortunes. Accordingly, only those who live by these commandments will be under divine protection.
- A person who has unshakable faith in God can call the Lord his “refuge” and “intercessor.”
- The Lord will deliver man from the “net of the trap.” “The catcher’s net” is an allegorical image, meaning an attack on the body - physical and demonic (i.e. lust, sinful passion). God will also deliver from “rebellious speech,” which means slander that causes rebellion and unrest in the soul of the slandered person.
- God loves the truth, therefore, only the person who is sincere with the Lord will be completely safe, under his reliable “wing.”
- Those who live in the help of God are not afraid of night fears coming from demons or bad people (robbers, thieves, etc.), nor are they afraid of arrows - physical, hitting the body, and mental, coming from demons and passion.
- He who lives in the help of the Lord may not be afraid of “things that pass in darkness” (demonic passion, fornication), “the noonday demon” (laziness, carelessness).
- A thousand or ten thousand arrows will not harm the one who lives in the help of God. Arrows mean temptation to commit sins, devilish machinations that counteract a righteous, godly life.
- God's help will help us see with our own eyes the retribution of wicked people.
- Strong protection from the Lord will come for the reason that the believer trusts in God with all his heart and mind, sees in him his intercessor.
- No evil will come close to a person who trusts in God; everything corporeal, possessing a material shell, will be protected from troubles and diseases.
- God protects the person who trusts in him through the Angels.
- The angels will carry the believer in their arms, and the person will not stumble over a stone. The hands of Angels are a symbol of the protective force that will protect a person during temptations and difficult life situations. The stone symbolizes sin, everything that acts as an obstacle to virtue.
- A person who trusts in God is not afraid of snakes and large predators. Asp and basilisk are poisonous snakes. Asp is a symbol of slander, basilisk is a symbol of envy (both one’s own and that of other people). The lion and dragon symbolize harshness and inhumanity. A righteous person is able to overcome all these negative manifestations.
- Man trusts in God, so the Lord protects him and delivers him from all danger. Only those who lead a righteous life and keep the commandments given to them truly know God’s Name.
- God will hear the person who trusts in him if he calls to Him. The Lord will be with him in sorrow, deliver him and glorify him in earthly and eternal life.
- The Lord gives eternal life as a reward to a person who trusts in God, and can also extend his earthly life.
The Lord hears everyone who says the prayer “Psalm 90” and never refuses his help. God is merciful, therefore he often helps a person who has sinned a lot in his life, if he, when reading a prayer, turns to the Lord with deep and sincere faith in his heart, with trust in Him.
Psalm 90 read:
1 He who lives in the help of the Most High will dwell in the shelter of the Heavenly God. 2 Says the Lord: Thou art my Advocate and my refuge, my God, and I trust in Him. 3 For He will deliver you from the snare of the trap and from rebellious words, 4 He will cover you with His cloak, and you will trust under His wing: His truth will surround you with weapons. 5 Thou shalt not fear from the fear of the night, from the arrow that flies during the day, 6 from the thing that passes in darkness, from the cloak, and from the demon of the midday. 7 Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will be at your right hand, but it will not come close to you, 8 but look at your eyes and see the reward of sinners. 9 For You, O Lord, are my hope, You have made the Most High your refuge. 10 No evil will come to you, and no wound will come near your body, 11 for His angel commanded you to keep you in all your ways. 12 They will lift you up in their arms, but not when you dash your foot on a stone, 13 tread on the asp and the basilisk and cross the lion and the serpent. 14 Because I have trusted, I will deliver, and I will cover, because I have known My name. 15 He will call to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will remove him and glorify him, 16 I will fulfill him with the length of days and show him My salvation.
