I awoke early this morning and after a brief moment I looked at the time, it was 03:03. I quite often get things in the spirit at specific times during the night hours. For example 03:33 from Jeremiah 33:3, ‘Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty or unsearchable things you do not know’.
This time the repetition of the figure ‘3’, representing the Trinity or Godhead brought Saint Patrick’s famous Prayer to mind. (Famous in Ireland at least). The Saint’s Prayer is a prayer for protection from all attacks of the enemy. Patrick was aware of dark forces around him opposing his work for the Kingdom of God and so he bound himself to God. Following Covid and the world lockdown more believers are confessing scriptures, such as Psalm 91 and Ephesians 6, the armour of God, on a daily basis. Patrick’s prayer is from an ancient time but the principle of confessing scripture and declaring God’s protection is still relevant today.
I Bind Unto Myself (St. Patrick’s Breastplate)
Therefore shall you lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. Deut. 11: 18
I BIND UNTO MYSELF TODAY
THE STRONG NAME OF THE TRINITY:
BY INVOCATION OF THE SAME,
THE THREE IN ONE AND ONE IN THREE.
I BIND THIS DAY TO ME FOR EVER
By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation: His baptism in the Jordan river,
His death on the Cross for my salvation; His bursting from the spiced tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom
I BIND UNTO MYSELF TODAY!
I BIND UNTO MY MYSELF TODAY
The power of God to hold and lead: His eye to watch, his might to stay, His ear to hearken to my need;
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, his shield to ward; The Word of God to give me speech, His heavenly host to be my guard!
I BIND UNTO MYSELF TODAY
The power of the great cherubim,
The sweet “well done” in judgment hour, The service of the seraphim;
Confessors’ faith, apostles’ word, Patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls; All good deeds done unto the Lord,
And purity of virgin souls.
I BIND UNTO MYSELF TODAY
The virtues of the starlit heaven,
The glorious sun’s life-giving ray;
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks, The stable earth, the deep salt sea around the old eternal rocks. (Celtic Christians loved and saw God in nature)
Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I BIND UNTO MYSELF TODAY,
THE STRONG NAME OF THE TRINITY:
BY INVOCATION OF THE SAME,
THE THREE IN ONE AND ONE IN THREE, OF WHOM ALL NATURE HATH CREATION, ETERNAL FATHER, SPIRIT, WORD:
PRAISE TO THE LORD OF MY SALVATION — SALVATION IS OF CHRIST THE LORD!
May the Lord bless and protect us today. Immanuel, God is with us.