Protection: Body, Soul, and Spirit

When our son was less than two, we went on a church camping trip. We were there less than ten minutes and our oldest daughter (age 9) had already crashed and burned going down a hill on her scooter and not really thinking that she didn’t know how to stop. The next day that same daughter got a terrible sunburn, and I woke up with a full-blown yeast infection. The campground was filled with a fine, dusty variety of dirt that got simply everywhere. And the icing on the cake? Pit toilets! I wasn’t having the best time and couldn’t wait to get home.

Our last night there, Josiah sounded terrible—barky-sounding cough and somewhat labored breathing. I was worried. After we got home, I was so relieved.  I was happy for a peaceful, normal night’s sleep for everyone. But in the middle of the night my mother’s hearing kicked in—my son was struggling.

Upon going into Josiah’s room, I found him gasping for breath.  His little chest was literally caving in under his sternum with each shallow breath.  Based on our location, we quickly reasoned that we could get him to the hospital faster than the ambulance could get to our house, load him up, and then get to the hospital. We gathered up our two girls, letting them know in the gentlest yet most urgent voices we could that this was an emergency and they needed to come now.

We tried to keep our fears in check, but it was apparent to our girls that this could be a life-or-death situation for their little brother, and there were tears streaming down both their faces. I was praying, out loud, in the Spirit, the entire way.

When we got to the intake window at the ER, a nurse behind the counter near the receptionist looked at us and placed Josiah at priority status. We got in right away. During the course of our time there, our pastor, as well as an elder and his wife, came to pray for Josiah. God’s presence was strong, and I began to feel peace, and assurance that everything was going to be okay.

Upon evaluation, the ER doctor diagnosed Josiah with a severe case of croup. He received a nebulizer treatment and was soon relaxed and breathing normally. He began to point out things in the treatment room, as he was a fairly adept talker—once that started, we knew he was feeling much better.

Ever since that very scary encounter, I have recognized to a greater degree the hand of God on my son’s life. He’s had several near-death—or what could have been fatal experiences, if not for God’s protection. Some involving water, another involving falling out of a tall tree, another involving traffic. Who knows how many incidents he’s been protected from over the years—girded up by unseen angels? 

I’ve come to realize that when the Lord has big plans for someone—plans that have the potential to affect lots of people for Jesus—the enemy will often try and “take them out” early. If he can’t get at them physically, he’ll try emotional tactics like anxiety and depression. And as a final assault, he’ll attack belief systems and identity.

I pray for God’s protection of my kids—and not just physically—I pray that He protects them body, soul, and spirit. And I thank the Lord for each time He has averted disaster, helped them through a crisis, or rescued them from peril.

“I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me” (Psalm 3:5, NLT).  Truly, He is watching over us all the time. But I believe He wants us to pray—and that He commissions angels when we do. “For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go” (Psalm 91:11, NLT). And of course, all of Psalm 91 is in the context of dwelling in the shelter of the Most High—recognizing and trusting Him as our protector; we can dwell there on behalf of our children—and His Spirit will cover them.

Josiah is just one example of someone who was saved by the hand of God for a purpose—and because God heard the cries of his mother, father, and sisters. He hears yours too. “But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears” (Psalm 18:6, NLT).

Let this be your motto, fellow parents: “I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me” (Psalm 120:1, NIV). And let it not stop there—also pray that “the Spirit of the Lord rest on them—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of [reverential] fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2). Protection of all that they are—so that God’s purposes in their lives will come to pass.