"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." John 3:14-15 ESV
Pondering an accurate response to this letter, we can't escape the fact that JESUS took our place on the cross and suffered on our behalf, accepting our due punishment for sin and showing us the greater, His incomprehensible Love and mercy for us, "that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."
Also, at the same time, GOD was making an open display of His victory by crushing the serpent's head.
"The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel." Genesis 3:14-15 ESV
Truly, the serpent's head was crushed, but he is still attempting to cause havoc on us and our families. I was compelled to write this prayer of protection for us and our families, starting it yesterday, adding more this morning, and sharing it with everyone here.
"They encourage each other to do evil and plan how to set their traps in secret. "Who will ever notice?" they ask." Psalm 64:5 NLT
Good morning, prayer. 3/9/24.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might." Ephesians 6:10 ESV
A Prayer of needed STRENGTH and protection for our homes and families
Oh, Father in Heaven above, thank You for hearing our prayers. Forgive us now our sins, and forgive our families of their sins, we ask in JESUS' Name. Oh, GOD, we see the world becoming darker. Evil is covering the land like a treacherous river that only You can stop.
Rescue those who have lost their way.
We are not able to stand strong against this tide of wickedness alone. We need You, LORD. The doors of hell have been opened, and all the demons have come forth, invading every corner. The people have a sickness of blindness and cannot hear the warnings. We ask that You fortify us so we can stand firm and alert them.
Enable us to persevere in the face of this adversity. Help us to warn those held captive in darkness to come to the light. Set the captive free, Almighty One in Heaven above. Give them Your Salvation. Rescue them from the fire, we pray.
Strengthen and protect.
Strengthen Your wall of protection around our families, reinforce our minds and bodies, protect our families from sicknesses of every kind, strengthen our armor, keep our shields held high and our swords sharp.
Make our homes stronger even still, sanctify them as a Holy place of refuge, fill our homes with Your Spirit, let no unclean thing claim residence within, set them apart from the outside world, holy ground, a place of rest, a sanctuary of freedom, of Love and peace, goodness, a place that will strengthen, a place to be encouraged, also protect our homes on the outside roundabout, let Your protection follow our families wherever they go, send forth Your Mighty Angels to surround them, covering them with protection on all sides, let nothing unclean thing come near them.
We pray that You will keep our family's minds and hearts pure and undefiled, protect our eyes and ears from evil influences, and overshadow us with Your Spirit. Also, fill us with wisdom so we can walk wisely in all our ways. Shine Your light on our path as we walk. Make our steps sure and strong. We pray in Jesus's Mighty Name. Amen.
"I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being." Ephesians 3:16 NIV
A prayer for more protection around us and our families, strengthening the wall, and repairing the gaps. 3/10/24
"But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves." Nehemiah 4:7-9 NLT
Our Father, hear us as we cry out to You this day. Have mercy on us, cleanse our hearts, wipe away the stain of our iniquities. The magnitude of our sins overwhelms us, but You have freed us from our guilt and shame. You rescued us from the charges against us, nailing them all to the cross. You have set us free, bringing us into the light. You made a spectacle of the powers of darkness, pulling down their strongholds and setting us its captives free.
"You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross." Colossians 2:13-15 NLT
"Our enemies are outside the wall and are trying to find ways to get in."
Oh, GOD, our enemies are outside the wall and are trying to find ways to get in. We can hear their screams of contempt for us. Our accusers continue to make slanderous accusations towards us. Their lies and mockery will not stop until You end them, oh GOD, come to our rescue. Help us maintain the wall you have built around us and our families for our protection. Give us the wisdom to reinforce the gaps, the areas where we have allowed the enemy to enter. They're attempting to claim residence for the sole purpose of destroying us and our families.
"Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, "Don't be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!"
When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall." Nehemiah 4:14-15 NLT
The warning
Oh, GOD, let this be a warning for Your people to repair the gaps in the wall, pray to the LORD, and ask Him to show you where they are and strengthen those areas, not letting the enemy make any strongholds set in place for our eventual destruction.
"Strengthening us to persevere"
LORD, we pray for Your protection in every area, fortifying and strengthening us to persevere, making us all wiser with each new day, filling us with Your Spirit, keeping us in Your presence, and filling us with Your Spirit. We ask You to give us more wisdom, establish our steps as we walk with You, show us how to redeem the time for the days are short, and to be faithful in what You have called each of us to do, in JESUS Mighty Name we pray,
"Don't be afraid of the enemy! Remember the LORD, who is Great and Glorious'
Stay alert!
"But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves." Nehemiah 4:9 NIT
Stay vigilant!
"Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water." Nehemiah 4:23 NIV
Thank you for this post. I always have trouble with the snake on a stick comparison. When I read about the snake, I think about Satan, not to mention the medical establishment. So hard to place a snake in the place of Our Lord and Savior. I understand that the story is meant to show the snake as a healing symbol, and maybe that is why I have trouble with it. Thank you for helping me reflect and study more on this point. I now understand that the reference is Our Lord Jesus being lifted up on a stick to free us from the condemnation of our sin from that old serpent Satan.
Thank you for your comment, Un-silent, I appreciate you sharing your heart, as that's what I hope happens here on Night Owl Christian: Conversation & Community.
I try and keep my posts brief, because people/readers are busy, and--frankly--social media research shows readers prefer posts be under five-minutes reading time. The Comments section creates space for me to share additional information if/when people leave a comment. So, I'm grateful you did!
I love using Bible study tools, even though I don't include in my posts everything I've discovered (see above). Here's something from Logos.com and the FaithLife Study Bible that explains the ancient Near East world view; it was new information to me:
"In the ancient Near East, serpents were widely associated with life and healing because they shed their skin. The prescientific observance of this ability led people to assume the serpent had regenerative power. Even today, the most common insignia associated with the medical profession contains two intertwined snakes."
This article on Got Questions? might also be helpful to understanding the OT passage. Here's the link:
And, "that old serpent Satan", I know all of us will rejoice with our loudest "outside voices" when he faces his final judgment. The good news is Jesus has won the victory, and the gates of Hades cannot stand (prevail) against His Bride, the church. His mercy is more!
Prayers for Protection
Dear Jenise and your family, GOD bless you.
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." John 3:14-15 ESV
Pondering an accurate response to this letter, we can't escape the fact that JESUS took our place on the cross and suffered on our behalf, accepting our due punishment for sin and showing us the greater, His incomprehensible Love and mercy for us, "that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."
Also, at the same time, GOD was making an open display of His victory by crushing the serpent's head.
"The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel." Genesis 3:14-15 ESV
Truly, the serpent's head was crushed, but he is still attempting to cause havoc on us and our families. I was compelled to write this prayer of protection for us and our families, starting it yesterday, adding more this morning, and sharing it with everyone here.
"They encourage each other to do evil and plan how to set their traps in secret. "Who will ever notice?" they ask." Psalm 64:5 NLT
Good morning, prayer. 3/9/24.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might." Ephesians 6:10 ESV
A Prayer of needed STRENGTH and protection for our homes and families
Oh, Father in Heaven above, thank You for hearing our prayers. Forgive us now our sins, and forgive our families of their sins, we ask in JESUS' Name. Oh, GOD, we see the world becoming darker. Evil is covering the land like a treacherous river that only You can stop.
Rescue those who have lost their way.
We are not able to stand strong against this tide of wickedness alone. We need You, LORD. The doors of hell have been opened, and all the demons have come forth, invading every corner. The people have a sickness of blindness and cannot hear the warnings. We ask that You fortify us so we can stand firm and alert them.
Enable us to persevere in the face of this adversity. Help us to warn those held captive in darkness to come to the light. Set the captive free, Almighty One in Heaven above. Give them Your Salvation. Rescue them from the fire, we pray.
Strengthen and protect.
Strengthen Your wall of protection around our families, reinforce our minds and bodies, protect our families from sicknesses of every kind, strengthen our armor, keep our shields held high and our swords sharp.
Make our homes stronger even still, sanctify them as a Holy place of refuge, fill our homes with Your Spirit, let no unclean thing claim residence within, set them apart from the outside world, holy ground, a place of rest, a sanctuary of freedom, of Love and peace, goodness, a place that will strengthen, a place to be encouraged, also protect our homes on the outside roundabout, let Your protection follow our families wherever they go, send forth Your Mighty Angels to surround them, covering them with protection on all sides, let nothing unclean thing come near them.
We pray that You will keep our family's minds and hearts pure and undefiled, protect our eyes and ears from evil influences, and overshadow us with Your Spirit. Also, fill us with wisdom so we can walk wisely in all our ways. Shine Your light on our path as we walk. Make our steps sure and strong. We pray in Jesus's Mighty Name. Amen.
"I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being." Ephesians 3:16 NIV
A prayer for more protection around us and our families, strengthening the wall, and repairing the gaps. 3/10/24
"But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves." Nehemiah 4:7-9 NLT
Our Father, hear us as we cry out to You this day. Have mercy on us, cleanse our hearts, wipe away the stain of our iniquities. The magnitude of our sins overwhelms us, but You have freed us from our guilt and shame. You rescued us from the charges against us, nailing them all to the cross. You have set us free, bringing us into the light. You made a spectacle of the powers of darkness, pulling down their strongholds and setting us its captives free.
"You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross." Colossians 2:13-15 NLT
"Our enemies are outside the wall and are trying to find ways to get in."
Oh, GOD, our enemies are outside the wall and are trying to find ways to get in. We can hear their screams of contempt for us. Our accusers continue to make slanderous accusations towards us. Their lies and mockery will not stop until You end them, oh GOD, come to our rescue. Help us maintain the wall you have built around us and our families for our protection. Give us the wisdom to reinforce the gaps, the areas where we have allowed the enemy to enter. They're attempting to claim residence for the sole purpose of destroying us and our families.
"Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, "Don't be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!"
When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall." Nehemiah 4:14-15 NLT
The warning
Oh, GOD, let this be a warning for Your people to repair the gaps in the wall, pray to the LORD, and ask Him to show you where they are and strengthen those areas, not letting the enemy make any strongholds set in place for our eventual destruction.
"Strengthening us to persevere"
LORD, we pray for Your protection in every area, fortifying and strengthening us to persevere, making us all wiser with each new day, filling us with Your Spirit, keeping us in Your presence, and filling us with Your Spirit. We ask You to give us more wisdom, establish our steps as we walk with You, show us how to redeem the time for the days are short, and to be faithful in what You have called each of us to do, in JESUS Mighty Name we pray,
"Don't be afraid of the enemy! Remember the LORD, who is Great and Glorious'
Stay alert!
"But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves." Nehemiah 4:9 NIT
Stay vigilant!
"Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water." Nehemiah 4:23 NIV
GOD bless you all!
Nothing Holding Me Back https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YhhiPtAQZg&list=RDMM&index=3
And, God bless you and yours richly, brother James!
I so appreciate your comment.
Thank you for this post. I always have trouble with the snake on a stick comparison. When I read about the snake, I think about Satan, not to mention the medical establishment. So hard to place a snake in the place of Our Lord and Savior. I understand that the story is meant to show the snake as a healing symbol, and maybe that is why I have trouble with it. Thank you for helping me reflect and study more on this point. I now understand that the reference is Our Lord Jesus being lifted up on a stick to free us from the condemnation of our sin from that old serpent Satan.
Thank you for your comment, Un-silent, I appreciate you sharing your heart, as that's what I hope happens here on Night Owl Christian: Conversation & Community.
I try and keep my posts brief, because people/readers are busy, and--frankly--social media research shows readers prefer posts be under five-minutes reading time. The Comments section creates space for me to share additional information if/when people leave a comment. So, I'm grateful you did!
I love using Bible study tools, even though I don't include in my posts everything I've discovered (see above). Here's something from Logos.com and the FaithLife Study Bible that explains the ancient Near East world view; it was new information to me:
"In the ancient Near East, serpents were widely associated with life and healing because they shed their skin. The prescientific observance of this ability led people to assume the serpent had regenerative power. Even today, the most common insignia associated with the medical profession contains two intertwined snakes."
This article on Got Questions? might also be helpful to understanding the OT passage. Here's the link:
https://www.gotquestions.org/bronze-serpent.html
And, "that old serpent Satan", I know all of us will rejoice with our loudest "outside voices" when he faces his final judgment. The good news is Jesus has won the victory, and the gates of Hades cannot stand (prevail) against His Bride, the church. His mercy is more!
Yes, and amen, amen, sister Ericka!
He IS a good, good Father.
When we stray, He is the Good Shepherd who pursues us diligently. Anyone who would say He doesn't is speaking the evil one's lies.
We are precious in God's sight! He love us so much. How much? John 3:16-17!