Topic: Praying for Protection! (Part 1)- the first 4 steps
Bible Reading: Genesis 32
Memory verse: Genesis 32: 9&10
Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’
I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have two camps.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen! How are you all doing? I pray and hope, that you started your morning on a great note. Did you read yesterday’s message? What are some of the things you read? Take note of them and meditate on it. God is going to reveal more things to you (personally).
Before we begin, I would like to say that prayer is communication with God. As Christians, we pray for many things. There are several types of prayer and each type of prayer has a way/ format. In today’s message, the holy Spirit will reveal to us how to pray to God for protection.
Today, with a similar tone as yesterday, the Holy Spirit is going to teach us how to pray; asking God for His protection against your fears and the enemy. To help us do this, we would be making references from Genesis 32: 9 & 10. Are you ready for today’s dose? Are you excited? Let’s get right into it.
In praying for protection, you must first call upon God for who He is and who He is to you! From Genesis 32: 9, we see Jacob start his prayer by saying, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac…” These two phrases contain a lot about God. It says that God is a faithful God and a living God. This is who God is and who Jacob knows God to be. So in your prayer for protection, you must start by acknowledging God for who He is.
Secondly, you must refer to the promise or blessing God gave to you. This promise/ blessing is the basis of your request. From Genesis 32:9b, we see from the verse that Jacob said, “…you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’… Jacob reminded God of the promise He made him. For it is His words which led him to make the decisions he made. Thus, the underlying factor leading that has influence his present situation. The second step in your prayer for protection is to refer and remind God of the promise/ blessing He gave you.
The next step is to go before God with humility. This point is very important. As Christians, we must subdue ourselves and be humble. Humility is one of the character traits that God stresses that all His children have. Having humility is what separates us from others. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, we see what God says about humility. The verse says, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” From this verse, we see that humility is one of the things God looks out for when we cry out to Him.
From Genesis 32: 10, we see that Jacob cried out to God saying, “I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant.” From this part of the prayer, we see that Jacob humbly attributes all his success and wealth to God. He talks of how unworthy he is; of everything he has been giving. In praying for protection from God, you must always humble yourself and come to God.
The last point we would look at today is to quantify the blessings of God and name them one by one. This shows that you acknowledge all that God has done for you; that you are not taking it for granted. From Genesis 32:10b, we see Jacob say, “I had only one staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have two camps.” Here, we see that Jacob quantified his blessings and named them; to show off God’s glory and mercy upon his life. Like Jacob, we must quantify our blessings and name them one by one.
Today, the Holy Spirit has guided us in understanding that in praying for protection,