As the Christian faith continues to be unpopular in our current cultural setting, we may feel that we need refuge. We desire to be safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble. We mistakenly think safety is best attained by eliminating or staying away from evil forces. In truth it is best attained by a deeper walk with the Lord and dependence on him. We can learn from the prayers of the Puritans, who prayed for God's refuge and protection.
“O LORD, Whose power is infinite and wisdom infallible, Order things that they may neither hinder, nor discourage me, nor prove obstacles to the progress of thy cause; Stand between me and all strife, that no evil befall, no sin corrupt my gifts, zeal, attainments; May I follow duty and not any foolish device of my own; Permit me not to labor at work which thou wilt not bless, that I may serve thee without disgrace or debt;”
He is praying for God to order his life to be most advantageous to his faith. He prays that no sin of his would corrupt his zeal. Not that it would be easy, and he would have no trouble, but that all things would work for the benefit of his faith and God’s cause. He then prays for protection from the world.
“Let me dwell in thy most secret place under thy shadow, where is safe impenetrable protection from the arrow that flieth by day, the strife of tongues, the hurt of unkind talk, the perils of youth, the temptations of middle life, the mourning of old age, the fear of death.”
He is not praying to have a world without threats to his faith. He prays that he can dwell in the most secret place, which is protection from all outside threats. In the inner sanctum of your heart, there is safety and security despite what is happening around you because of the secret place – where you commune with God and trust in him unreservedly. Paul encourages those in Philippi to, “not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:6-7) He concludes his prayer by dedicating his life to the Lord:
“I am entirely dependent upon thee for support, counsel, and consolation….Strengthen me by thy Spirit in my inner self for every purpose of my Christian life. All my jewels I give to the shadow of the safety that is in thee — my name anew in Christ, my body, soul, talents, character, my success, wife, children, friends, work, my present, my future, my end. Take them, they are there, and I am thine, now and forever.”
The threats we face as Christians require us to have a deeper walk with Jesus. Let’s seek the Lord with all our heart.
(Excerpts taken from "The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions." Compiled by Arthur Bennett)
