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A New Way to Pray

Louie Giglio

5 Days

Lord, Watch Over and Protect Me

Day 4

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Today unpacks a prayer we say all the time. This is the most difficult one to wrap our heads around. No one is going to pray for hardship and difficulty, but we tend to stop at "Lord, watch over and protect us."

We need to refocus on what our mission is and why this particular prayer doesn't always fit into it.

Summary

"Watch over and protect me."

We don't want to pray for hardship or difficulty, and this isn't to say that we should pray for the Lord not to watch over and protect us. It's just a shift to understanding that we have a Heavenly Father who always watches over us, and His angels are working on our behalf. He knows what we need before we do.

What is your mission? If your mission is safety and security, this will keep being your prayer. However, if it is to advance the Gospel to the ends of the earth, this probably isn't going to be your primary prayer. Remember Acts 4:29-30. The prayer was "consider their threats and enable your servants." at no point did they pray for God to watch over and protect them. Instead, they asked God to stretch out His hand and move in power. They asked for God's power to be used through them.

Remix: Lord, we commit our way to you. empower and use us.

What's Next?

If we are truly focused on our mission of sharing the gospel, we do not need to pray for God to watch over and protect us. We know that He is watching over us and is sending angels to work on our behalf. Read Acts 4:29-30. We want to place "watch over and protect us" between verses 29 and 30, but it's not there. What did they ask for instead in verse 30? What was the result in Acts 4:31? All through Acts, you see the ones proclaiming Jesus and never once asking for protection.

Today, ask the Lord to give you the courage to boldly stay on the mission of letting others know of what Jesus has done for them. Trust that God knows what you need and is already watching over you.

Scripture References

13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

14having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

12Moses said to the

Lord

, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’

13If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

14The

Lord

replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

15Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

16How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

17And the

Lord

said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

Louie Giglio

Louie Giglio is the Visionary Architect and Director of the Passion Movement, comprised of Passion Conferences, Passion City Church, Passion Publishing and sixstepsrecords, and the founder of Passion Institute.