PRAYING FOR SAFETY IN A WORLD THAT FEELS UNSAFE

 SAFETY

Our world has felt unsafe for quite some time.  We had the long months and years of the pandemic – which is still not really over. 

In recent times we’ve had the ugly war in the Ukraine.  And it’s not like that’s the first ugly war in recent times.  How easily we can forget the horrors in Syria or the despair in the airports Afghanistan as the Taliban took control once again and desperate people tried to flee. 

We need the stability and comfort of God’s Word that reminds us:

I am surrounded by trouble, but you protect me against my angry enemies. With your own powerful arm you keep me safe. Psalm 138:7

Do we ever need that with what we see going on in our world and even in our communities. There’s hardly a day on our local news when there’s not a shooting somewhere close by that’s “targeted and related to the gang conflict” going on. Family violence is still the largest killer.  We hate to see the Amber alerts show up on our cell phones when a child has been abducted or in trouble.

Where can we be safe?  Where can we find protection.  I think we need to settle back in these wonderful words and allow God to write them on our hearts today and find peace and rest and comfort there. Wherever it says “you or your” I’m going to replace it with “we or our” because these words are true for us and we need them to go deep into us. 

We look to the hills! Where will we find help?  It will come from the Lord, who created the heavens and the earth.

The Lord is our protector, and he won’t go to sleep or let us stumble. The protector of Israel doesn’t doze or ever get drowsy.

The Lord is our protector, there at our right side to shade us from the sun.  We won’t be harmed by the sun during the day or by the moon at night.

The Lord will protect us and keep us safe from all dangers. The Lord will protect us now and always wherever you go.  Psalm 121

Now I’d like to use those same words and speak them as a blessing to you and to all of us today.  Let’s see God’s help come alive in us even as we pray and proclaim these words over our lives today.  Receive this bless.

I bless you to look up – to the hills and beyond.  I bless You to come to know where You can find help.  It will come from the Lord, who created the heavens and the earth.

I bless You to experience the Lord as your protector, the one who doesn’t go to sleep on You or let you stumble. Your protector doesn’t doze or ever get drowsy.

I bless You to be conscious of the Lord as your protector, there at your right side to shade you from the sun.  I bless You to walk safe in His care, not harmed by the sun during the day or by the moon at night.

I bless You to experience to the depths of Your being, the Lord protecting you and keeping you safe from all dangers. May You know it now – God’s protection in this moment and always, wherever You go.  Psalm 121