If you’re like me, you care about the health and safety of your family. You worry that someone you love will contract a disease or be influenced by the wrong people. You feel overwhelmed because even when you pray, you wonder…
Do my prayers for protection make any difference? Are my prayers powerful enough to change the present or the future? Does God want to hear them?
Yes. A thousand times Yes.
What is a prayer of protection?
Asking for God’s protection doesn’t bother him. In fact, it is fundamental to our faith because praying for protection (or anything else) is a practical application and execution of our faith. When I ask God for something that only he can do, I am transferring my control to him.
That is the purpose of prayer in the first place: to worship.
God does not refuse worshipers. So as long as your prayer requests are acts of worship, faith, and trust, you can never pray too much or ask for the wrong thing. Your heart will ask for what God wants to give you.
a prayer of protection it is simply a request for the sovereignty of God in your life. We cannot manipulate God to protect us; in fact, we don’t have to because we are always in the palm of his hand, if we are his children (John 10: 28-29).
Although we often pray for safe travel, relationships, and influence over our family members, God has already promised us His protection in the Scriptures. God’s nature is to protect and cherish.
This is perhaps difficult to remember because so often our understanding of God’s protection is limited to what we expect from the Christian life: health, comfort, and safety.
I encourage you to believe what God says about himself: he is your Protector (Yahweh Nissi/”the Lord is my Banner”, Exodus 17:15) and your Provider (Yahweh Jireh/”the Lord provides,” Genesis 22:14 ).
We can trust God with our health, our comfort, and our safety, even when our lives feel precarious and the future is dark.
How to pray for protection for you and your family (or friends)
If you want to pray a protection prayer and don’t know what to say, you can try praying someone else’s. words first. You can use the Psalms or the seven prayers below to help you get started.
Then use your own words. Just tell God how you feel. Name your fears. Choose to name the virtues of God out loud. Praising God helps you believe that he will protect you. If necessary, make changes to your beliefs and habits where you feel afraid. Eliminate fear by affirming God’s truth.
What does the Bible say about praying for protection?
Protection prayers occur throughout the Old and New Testaments. Here are some examples of people who prayed when they felt scared, anxious, or overwhelmed:
David prayed for protection against his enemies (primarily his father-in-law) several times in the Psalms. He asked God for vengeance, protection, and purpose. He shared his fear and promised to trust in God’s plan for his life (Psalm 54, Psalm 55, Psalm 56, Psalm 57, Psalm 59, Psalm 63)
Jesus prayed for growth, unity, and protection from the devil (John 17:12-15)
Jesus prayed for Peter to resist Satan’s attacks (Luke 21:31-32)
Paul prayed for his churches to grow in strength (2 Corinthians 13:7-9, Ephesians 3:16-19, 1 Thessalonians 3:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Colossians 1:9-11)
Paul asked his churches to pray for their resilience and boldness in ministry (Ephesians 6:19-20, Colossians 4:2-4) and to pray against spiritual attacks (Ephesians 6:18-20).
Daniel and his friends prayed for God to reveal Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to Daniel so that he would not be killed (Daniel 2:16-19)
Whatever kind of protective prayer you say, make your request with bold faith that God is going before you and with you in whatever you face.
A prayer for courage
“When I am afr help, I trust you.” (Psalm 56:3)
Lord, I am afraid of everything that surrounds me and my family. I am afraid of the past, the present and the future. I know that you have the power to subdue and eradicate my anxiety and fear. I ask you to take it from me and protect me from believing in its power. Help me to trust in your goodness and live bravely because I know you can and will protect me from the things that scare me. You love me and you only do me good. In the name of Jesus, amen.
A prayer for the protection of your children
“We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all wisdom and spiritual intelligence, and we pray this so that you live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in everything.” (Colossians 1:9-10)
Lord, I pray for my children, that you fill them with spiritual understanding about you. I ask that the Holy Spirit move mightily in your lives. Surround them with spiritual influences. Give them thirst for your Spirit. I pray for tender hearts to hear and receive your word. Make them powerful men and women of God who share your love and mission with the world. May they first seek your kingdom. Protect them from pursuing an earthly kingdom and the pleasures of this world. In the name of Jesus, amen.
prayer for your marriage
“Submit to one another in the fear of Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21)
Lord protect my marriage. Thank you for giving me a picture of the church and how I should live in it, right at home. I pray for my spouse to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, to seek you above all else. I ask for your guidance and wisdom for myself, that I will respond and act with love, kindness, wisdom, grace and faithfulness. I pray that we protect our marriage from influences that will damage it. Help us to forgive freely and never harbor resentment or anger. I pray that we share the love of Christ through the testimony of our marriage. In the name of Jesus, amen.
A prayer for your city and your country
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Lord, I pray that your Spirit falls on my country and my community. To protect my family and our culture of idolatry, selfishness, injustice and corruption. Infuse Christians with love, mercy and compassion. May our lives glorify your name and honor your Son. He convinces lawmakers, leaders, and fellow citizens to humble themselves before you and seek your wisdom. May we be a people of love and mercy as the light of the gospel of Jesus. In his name, Amen.
A prayer for your mind
“Conform no more to the standards of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)
Lord, renew my mind and the minds of my family members. Convict us of sin and protect us from the lies of the enemy around us. Help us to discern truth from error and defend ourselves against impiety and idolatry. Fill us with the knowledge and wisdom of your word. Keep us with the power of your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, amen.
A prayer against spiritual warfare
“Therefore put on the whole armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand firm, and after you have done everything, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:10)
Lord, defend my family from my spiritual enemies. Guard our hearts and minds. protect us from the fiery darts of the evil one. I give you to me and my family; we give ourselves to prayer and understanding of your word and your mission. With you, we can defeat the devil. He has no power over us. In the name of Jesus, amen.
What to remember about praying a protection prayer
- God wants to answer your prayers. He is listening and waiting to hear them. (1 Peter 3:7, Daniel 9:17)
- Pray for God’s will. He knows the future; you don’t. What might seem like a lack of protection could now be total protection from something else. Decide to trust and follow Jesus, even when you don’t feel safe. He has you. (Matthew 6:33-34, James 1:2-8, 2 Thess. 1:11-12)
- The prayers of a righteous person make a difference. Your prayers can alter the future. Your prayers can change history. God is full of redemption, restitution and blessing. He can take anything that has happened and make something good out of it. (James 5:16)
- Sometimes praying for protection means going into a difficult situation and being Jesus to someone. In addition to praying for specific needs, you can go to meet the need. After all, faith without works is dead. (James 2:20, 26)
- Pray regularly. Nothing builds your faith and resistance to the enemies of this world better than prayer. (2 Timothy 1:3)
Our God is our faithful Protector. That’s who he is he. He leads us through suffering. He comforts us in pain. He guides us through temptation. He forgives us when we confess our sins. Because God is loving and faithful, he always protects us, even when he doesn’t feel that way. God cannot go against his own nature. And the nature of a Protector is care and compassion.