Praying For Protection
Wouldn’t it be nice if salvation came with a “get out of jail free” card? Actually, it does better than that with a “get out of hell” card! But I’m talking about a pass for all of life’s scary and even life-threatening moments – free from anything bad happening.
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Although we aren’t promised a life of sunshine and lollipops, we have a promise of protection found in the Bible. Psalm 91 is a prayer for ourselves as well as a powerful prayer for first responders, the military, and anyone who needs daily protection. (Which is all of us, amiright?!)
The Secret Place
Psalm 91 begins with giving us a picture of protection – a safe place that the Bible calls the secret place. Hiding in secret reminds me of hearing about the stories of Jews hiding under the floor, in hidden closets or walls for protection from the Nazis. They were not comfortable hiding in those spots, but they were protected in the heat of persecution.
David likens the secret place in Psalm 91 to a hen hiding her chicks under her wings. When a predator looks for the babies, it can only see the momma. Likewise, when the enemy comes looking for you, you can be hidden under the wings of Almighty God. However, it is our choice to dwell in that secret place or to be in the “open,” fending for ourselves.
The Bible calls the secret place a refuge and fortress – a place of rest and assurance that you will be safe. Again, this doesn’t mean that we are immune to attack, but that we are immune to destruction. Living out your Christian walk is not about being comfortable. Yes, there is peace in Him, but that peace doesn’t mean there is no conflict or trial. All the promises of God are to help us through the tough times, not take us out of them.
People often blame God for something bad happening to them when they have become an easy target for the enemy. For example, if I have to go out in the rain, I have a choice to use an umbrella or to get wet. (Most of the time, I choose to get wet because I don’t have my umbrella with me or I’m too lazy to use it. The same is true with God’s protection. We are either ignorant of how to pray and “activate” His protection, or we know the Bible but are too lazy or simply forget to apply it to our lives and situations.
God’s Promise to You
At the end of Psalm 91, in verses 14-16, God gives His promise to us:
“Because he(you) has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him(you); I will set him(you) on high, because he(you) has known My name. He(you) shall call upon Me, and I will answer him(you); I will be with him(you) in trouble; I will deliver him(you) and honor him(you). With long life I will satisfy him(you), and show him(you) My salvation.” (emphasis added by me.)
Let’s unpack this portion of scripture. There are several “if, then” statements that God makes here. The first is, “Because he has set his love upon Me.” The result of setting your love upon God is that He will answer us. God is love, and everything He does is in and out of love – it’s the currency of heaven. Therefore, if we want to be where He is and hide under the shadow of His wings, we also must be in love. If you need a love check-up, read 1 Corinthians 13. You will find out if you qualify for this promise.
The next “if, then” statement is, “I will set him on high, because he has known My name.” As we discussed in last week’s blog, the name of Jesus is above every name that is named. When we pray in His name, we are also lifted “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named.” The name of Jesus is strong and powerful. We must learn how to apply his name to our situations according to His word (like an umbrella).
God promises that when you pray in love using the name of Jesus, He will be with you in trouble, deliver you, honor you, satisfy you with long life, and show you His salvation which includes so much more.
Pray Psalm 91
I encourage you to pray Psalm 91 regularly and plead the blood of Jesus over your day or situation.
1”He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
3Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
7A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.
9Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
14“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.
15He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”