Bind Me Today

Grace and peace, church family. I pray this finds each of you well.

Every now and then, a prayer from the past grabs ahold of me in the present. Recently, I’ve been reflecting on a prayer attributed to St. Patrick — words that have been prayed for centuries, known as St. Patrick’s Breastplate. It’s a powerful declaration of faith, spoken not as ritual but quite literally as armor.
Legend says that Patrick prayed these words as he set out on a dangerous journey to share the gospel, fully aware of the risks and possible persecution that lay ahead. Yet, knowing the danger, Patrick didn’t shrink back. With courage and conviction, he laced up his spiritual armor, not with sword or shield but with prayer. He declared:

“I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity. … ”Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me.”

The prayer of St. Patrick is not a passive prayer. It is an act of surrender. An anchoring. A holy binding of one’s life to the presence, power and purpose of Jesus.

In a world that often pulls us in every direction — by fear, busyness, opinions or distractions — I can’t help but wonder, what would it look like to be bound to Christ in such a way that everything else falls into its proper place? What if we began our day with that kind of intention?

This week, I invite you to pause and pray a portion of St. Patrick’s prayer. Not just to read it, but to mean it. To bind your life — your heart, your mind, your strength — to the One who goes before you, walks beside you, and dwells within you.

Today, let’s walk forward, not in our own strength, but clothed and bound to the promises found in Christ.