Praying for Protection
“The thief
comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come
that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
(John
10:10, NIV
Clothed in Christ, our armor of light (Romans 13:12, 14),
Paul says our assignment is to pray: always, with all kinds of
prayers. We would certainly include worship and praise in our prayers. Such
prayers create an environment that invites the presence of God who inhabits the
praise of His people, and at the very least, discourage the presence of evil
spirits. But worship and praise alone are not sufficient to resist evil spirits
and stand our ground. We must also wield our weapon—speaking forth the Word of
God, the rhema (the spoken word, the specific verse or verses that the
Holy Spirit will bring to mind for us to pray). Speaking and praying the Word
of God is our offensive weapon.
Every scripture prayer in that sense is a weapon. When we
are praying for spiritual protection for ourselves and/or others, it is helpful
to have select scriptures in mind or written down as a reference. We’ve
included a sample prayer, and encourage you to pray it over yourselves, your
family, and your ministry partners. The more often you pray it, the more you
will find yourself remembering the verses, and they will become part of your
extemporaneous prayers so that the Spirit can bring them to mind at any time.
Add to this prayer by making your own list of scriptures that seem appropriate
to you.
The time to stand in prayer against the thief and those who
work with and for him in the kingdom of darkness—is now.
Keep
Us, Hide Us, Protect Us
Because You are the Lord our God, God of
gods and Lord of lords,
the great God, mighty and awesome (Deuteronomy 10:17)
we call upon You with confidence!
Go before us and be our rear guard (Isaiah
52:12). Cover us with Your
feathers, shelter us beneath Your wings (Psalm 91:4). Hide us in the cleft of the rock,
cover us with Your hand (Exodus 33:22).
Keep us as the apple of Your eye (Psalm
17:8), secure in the shadow
of Your wings (Psalm 17:8),
safe in Your dwelling (Psalm 27:5), secure in Your grip (John 10:28-29).
Spread Your protection over us (Psalm
5:11). Hide us in the
shelter of Your presence (Psalm 31:20), in the shelter of Your tabernacle (Psalm
27:5). Set us high upon a
rock (Psalm
27:5). Keep us safe; save
us by Your right hand (Psalm 16:1; 17:7).
Protect us by the power of Your name (John
17:11). Be our stronghold
in times of trouble (Psalm 9:9).
Strengthen and protect us from the evil
one (2
Thessalonians 3:3). Free us
from the trap that is set for us (Psalm 31:4). Guard our lives and rescue us, for we
take refuge in You (Psalm 25:20). Trample down our enemies (Psalm 60:12).
Help us to rest in the shadow of the
Almighty, our fortress and our God in whom we trust (Psalm
91:1-2), in our shelter
from the storm, our shade from the heat (Isaiah 25:4).
You are the Strong Tower to which we
run, (Proverbs
18:10) our ever-present
help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). May we always seek our refuge in You (Psalm
64:10).
You are God the rock in whom we take
refuge (Psalm
94:22), a shield around us (Psalm
3:3)—God Most High (Psalm
7:10). Be our hiding place
and protect us from trouble (Psalm 32:7). Help us to set You before us at all times (Psalm 16:8-9).
Surround us as the mountains surround
Jerusalem (Psalm 125:2); be a wall of fire around us (Zechariah 2:5).
Stand beside us like a mighty warrior (Jeremiah
20:11), be our banner of
victory (Exodus 17:15), and let us rest secure in knowing the
battle is not ours, but Yours (1 Samuel 17:47).
How we thank You that we are secure, loved
by the God the Father and kept by the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we
pray—amen!
Taken from Scriptures for Victory, PrayerPower Ministries
Jim and Kaye Johns
