This page offers prayers for protection, written for the moments when fear, danger or uncertainty press in on you or someone you love. You can pray the longer prayer below aloud exactly as written, or use it as a starting point and speak your own words. The shorter version is there for the moments when you have only a breath to spare, such as in a car, at a hospital bedside, or lying awake at night.
Prayers for Protection
Lord, you are the one who keeps watch over us when we cannot keep watch over ourselves. I come to you today because I am worried about what might happen to me, to the people I love, and to the home and work you have given us. Some of my fears are small and some are large, and I bring all of them to you without pretending they are not there. Guard our going out and our coming in. Watch over our health, our finances, our driving, our children at school, and the hours when we are alone and tired.
Surround us with your presence like a wall that no harm can breach. Where there are people who wish us ill, turn their plans aside and keep us from their reach. Where there are dangers we cannot see, reveal them to us in time, and give us wisdom to avoid what we should avoid. Give us peace when our minds race ahead to the worst outcome, and remind us that you have already been present in every place we are about to enter. Be our refuge and our strength in trouble, and let us rest in your care tonight. Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Father, I am afraid right now, and I need you close. Stand between me and whatever threatens me, and keep me safe in this moment and the next. Watch over the people I love who are not with me. Quiet my heart and steady my hands, and let me trust that you are already here. In Jesus’ name, keep us. Amen.
Scriptures to Pray Alongside
Psalm 91:1-2
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”
(WEB)
Use this passage to picture yourself sheltering in God’s presence, and say the words of verse two as your own statement of trust. Pray it slowly when you feel exposed, letting each phrase name God as your refuge.
Psalm 121:7-8
7 The LORD will keep you from all evil. He will keep your soul. 8 The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in, from this time forward, and forever more.
(WEB)
Pray this verse when you are leaving home or sending someone out the door. Ask God to keep the going out and the coming in, asking him to guard each day from start to finish.
Psalm 46:1-3
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we won’t be afraid, though the earth changes, though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas; 3 though its waters roar and are troubled, though the mountains tremble with their swelling. Selah.
(WEB)
Read this when the ground beneath you feels unstable and the news or circumstances seem overwhelming. Pray that God would be your refuge and strength even when the world around you is shaking.
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
(WEB)
Speak this verse back to God when fear whispers that you are alone. Ask him to hold you with his righteous hand, and thank him for the promise that he is with you.
John 17:15
I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one.
(WEB)
Jesus prayed this for his followers, and you can pray it for yourself and those you love. Ask the Father to keep you from the evil one while you live in the world, trusting that his prayer still covers you today.
How to Pray This Prayer
Pray the longer prayer in the early morning before the day begins, or in the evening once the house is quiet. Choose a chair you can sit in with both feet on the floor, and keep a hand open on your lap or resting on the table. Some people find it helps to hold a small object such as a key, a ring or a smooth stone, so that every time they feel it they are reminded to ask for God’s protection again.
You might pray this with a spouse, a parent, a friend or a roommate, taking turns reading a line each. If you are praying for someone who is far away, sit with their name written on a card in front of you and pray the prayer while looking at it. Whenever fear returns during the day, return to the shorter version and let it carry you through the next hour.
A Blessing to Close
May the Lord who keeps Israel neither slumber nor sleep be your shield on every side. May he go before you into each unfamiliar place and walk beside you through each long night. May you know, in the quiet and in the noise, that you are held, and that nothing can pluck you from the hand of the one who loves you.
