Psalm 121.6 The sun shall not strike you by day or the moon by night
If you have ever had sunstroke it’s not very nice. I have had it a few times and ended up with a horrible headache and nausea. So now whenever it is very hot and sunny I wear a hat or something to cover my head. I also try and keep in the shade around the middle of the day. Yesterday I had work to do outside and needed to keep working through the hottest and sunniest part of the day. I fixed up a fan, wore my hat, drank lots of water, got a choc ice from Di, and took little breaks so I did not have to work too long in the sun. I also prayed for protection. I got to the end of the day and managed to do all I had set out to do. I woke up this morning with no headache or ill effects.
These verses from Psalm 121 and also Psalm 91 speak about God protecting us as his people. I feel that it is a good thing to remind God of his promises, read them regularly and pray for his protection. You may be thinking what damage can the moon do, at night? Apparently, in the East the moon can be much brighter and can have a damaging effect on people’s eyesight if they sleep under the stars and light of the moon. In the East it is recommended to have some covering over the face and eyes.
I think we need to ask God regularly for his protection and give thanks when he sees us safely through difficult and dangerous situations. When I have travelled to India or Africa, I always say grace before a meal, thanking him for the food and asking God to bless it to our bodies. Part of that prayer is for protection for any adverse effects on my stomach. I had ‘Delhi belly’ on a return trip from India on one occasion and did not want a repeat of that.
Maybe we have lost some of the old disciplines we grew up with in the church, surrounding prayers of protection. My parents used to say grace over each meal, pray that God would protect our journeys, look over our houses when we went on holiday and protect us from illnesses that were doing the rounds at school. If anyone in the family was having a baby we would all be contacted to pray for them and if anyone was sick we would pray for healing and protection.
I meet lots of people when doing the bikes. I am praying for protection from the Coronavirus for myself, Diana, the rest of the family, the baby twins (our grandchildren), the church family and my neighbours as well as observing all the social distancing recommendations. I also spray my bikes with disinfectant when they get sold, to be doing my best to prevent the spread of the virus. It’s good to be vigilant as well as trusting God.
Let’s not be embarrassed to pray prayers of protection and healing restoration during these insecure times.
