Loni over at Writing Canvas is hosting this week's In Other Words, and has chosen the following Psalm:No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:10-11. NKJV)
Praying for protection wasn't something I did much until I moved to Saudi Arabia.
Sure, there were specific prayers for specific protections over the years - long trips and bad storms, for example, or one-off dangerous situations, but overall, I felt God's regular protection was implied. A child doesn't have to explicitly ask a parent to protect them every morning when they wake up, right?
Then 9-11 happened, and awhile later, we moved to Saudi Arabia, home of 15 of the 19 hijackers, ancestral home of Osama bin Laden, the cradle of Islam and - many feel - the birthplace of Islamic extremism and terrorism.
According to the press, my new home was a dangerous, dangerous place for people like me - Americans, Christians, women.
I remember the first morning after I arrived in Kingdom, a woman who later became one my dearest friends invited me to go into town shopping with her. As her driver pulled the car out of my driveway, my new friend grabbed my hand, bowed her head, and started to pray.
"Dear Lord, be with us as we go shopping today. Send your angels to watch over us and protect us. Stand between us and the people who would want to harm us. Amen.
It was a short prayer. A simple prayer, and one I've since repeated countless times in various forms, but that morning was the first morning I realized that, although God protects us whether we ask Him to or not, there's nothing wrong with just saying the words.
"Hey God. It's me and I'm scared. I know you're there. I know you're always there and will always protect me from every bad thing I can imagine, whether I ask you to or not, but today, right now, I just need to put it into words. I need to be specific. Send your angels. Put up a fence. Call in the troops! Do whatever you can think of, Lord, please help me feel safe."
It makes us feel better, and I can't help but think it pleases God, too.
AVA
Check out The Pleasing Moments Blog where I encourage and inspire others to please God more!
15 comments:
Thank you so much for joining with IOW today and for sharing about your experiences. WOW! It gave me the chills to read. Your book also looks very interesting as well. :)
Thanks, Loni. I've really enjoyed being part of IOW. It's a nice thing to break up my writing week and I always look forward to reading what the other participants - including you - have to say!
Ava, I agree. I've learned more of the specifics of praying for protection since being an expat--and we are in an ally country! But traveling and recognizing that not everyone has our "best" in their hearts makes me pray even more. Thanks for a great post!
Ava,
Your post reminds me of Jeremiah 33:3 which says, "Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not."
Sometimes I think that we take advantage of the fact that God will protect us. He specifically tell us to call on him and I believe that it not only pleases him, but it is also a command and it is a productive part of our active walk with him. I'm so guilty of trusting but not doing my part, and it's so much easier to see his answers when we've specifically prayed - don't you think?
I can't imagine living in the circumstances you lived in. I'm wondering what took you over there. Perhaps I'll read your blog a little more and see if I can figure it out. :)
Have a great day.
Lynnette
"Stand between us and those who want to harm us." I like that thought. In today's world we can't pray enough for the protection needed both physically as well as spiritually. Is this your first day with IOW? Well Praise the Lord, glad to have you on board.
Wow, your first line grabbed me for sure! You're in a faith-growing time, and it sounds like you're growing well! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Absolutely loved your post! The simplistic boldness of the prayers mentioned blew me away.
Great post! Yes, it is easy to forget to call upon God for protection. We get lulled into a false sense of security. May we never forget that our protection comes from our Heavenly Father. Thank you for the reminder!
Simple prayers are what God asks of us. This really is a substantial statement knowing your situation. . .
Requesting a presence between us and evil is surely asking for His angels. This is a perfect real-life example of this verse.
...Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace...
God Bless!
MIPA - There have been a lot of lessons in my expat life, and I sure wouldn't be who I am - not to mention what I am- without them. One of the greatest has been the growth of my faith. Thanks for dropping by. AVA
Lynette - you're spot on when you say that we take God's protection for granted and, as you said, trusting and not doing is often the cause. Thanks for sharing that verse as well.
AVA
Karen - Actually, I've been doing these IOW for several months - hehe but thanks for the welcome anyway!
Besty - I like to think every time is a faith growing time! But yeah, my years as an expat have surely allowed God to work in my life.
Laurie Ann - Sometimes we forget how important simple honesty is - especially in prayer. Thanks for dropping by.
Named Alicia - amen to that!
Esthermay - thanks for dropping by an the encouragement.
Such an amazing post, bless you.
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