Recently, Christine Houldsworth brought a contribution during a service at Emmanuel Church Durham, in the form of a prayer of protection and blessing. We're delighted to share it here:
“Recently the Lord has been showing me that we have had a spate of very, very serious illnesses and accidents amongst people in the church.
As I was praying about it I felt the Lord saying that “As a church we are pressing forward and we have an enemy who is against us.”
So I’d like to pray a prayer of protection over us, because we don’t want to stop moving forwards because the enemy is against us, we want to keep on pushing forward.
I was thinking about it and got a picture of the Roman army; they were very successful because they knew how to use their shields. They had shields but they didn’t just protect themselves, they were in formation and they held their shields so that the ones on the outside held them to protect the outside and the ones in the middle held them above their heads, so that no darts of the enemy could get through.
I feel that it is a word for us today. However it takes unity to do that, but we have unity in Christ and we need to be aware of each other. We are not just protecting ourselves with our shields; we need to be protecting each other. So I want to pray a prayer of protection over us.
Father I thank You that we are Your children and we are in your hands. I pray Lord that You will protect each one of us. But Lord we will also do our bit because You have given us armour, given us a shield of faith. I pray that we will use that shield effectively to not only protect ourselves but to protect each other, as we pray for one another and walk together in unity. Amen
Another powerful spiritual weapon that I’m only just discovering, and I think in general the church has forgotten, is about speaking blessings. One of the roles of the priests in the Old Testament was to speak blessings over the people.
We are a royal priesthood and have the authority to speak blessings over ourselves and over each other. This is very, very powerful. It’s not that we are praying for blessings, we are speaking the blessings. The blessings are ours already in God and by speaking them over each other and over ourselves, we are drawing down those blessings that are already ours in God, we are drawing them into reality here on earth.
So I want to speak blessings, for everybody who is connected to Emmanuel, those in Chester-le-Street, anybody who is not here today. This is being done in the spirit so they are included in these blessings because God will do it in the spirit.
In the Name of Jesus:
I speak blessings over all who are connected with Emmanuel Church.
I bless the elders and their leadership of the church.
I bless Emmanuel Church with unity, grace and love for one another.
I bless each marriage to be strong in the Lord and full of love, forgiveness and joy.
I bless all the families with peace, understanding and love.
I bless everyone to have a network of wholesome and supportive friendships, so that on-one will feel lonely or unloved.
I bless your health, that you may be strong and well. In Jesus’ name I resist all sickness, disease and trauma.
I bless your finances that you will have plenty to live on and enough to give.
I bless our hearts that we will be softened towards God and quickened to hear His voice.
I bless Emmanuel Church that we will see more of the Holy Spirits power and the word of God flowing through us.
I bless us to fulfil all of God’s purposes for our lives, both as individuals and as a body.”