“Safe” Prayers

“Keep them safe” was the prayer I heard for the Pastor and leadership of a church, that was it, “safety”. I have heard this prayer many times over my life as a Christian and I often wonder about it.  

I recently did a CD study on the life of Paul. As I was listening to the man praying I was thinking, “God did not keep Paul safe”. Throughout his missionary journeys and as a prisoner Paul’s own testimony was that he was anything but “safe”. Yet, his influence for Jesus Christ in the world is evident in many Biblical passages.  

Here is his own account of his lack of safety in the world from 2 Corinthians 11:23- 30: “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one–I am talking like a madman–with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.  Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;  in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.  And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?  If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” 

He lived through some extremely unsafe times! As I looked through his letters I could not find one time when Paul prayed for safety – his own or for anyone else’s. He prayed for believers to be restored to Christ (2 Corinthians 13:9). He prayed that people would be filled with knowledge of God’s will (Colossians 1:9). When he asked for prayer he asked others to pray for God’s Word to have an open door so he could declare the mystery of Christ (Colossians 4:3) and that he and his traveling companions would act honorably (Hebrews 13:18). He prayed that the people who believed would not do wrong (2 Corinthians 13:7). There are many prayers where he thanks God for the people who have come to faith, for their knowledge to increase, for opportunities to be opened for him to teach, and that God would make them worthy of His calling.  

There seems to be much more to pray for than safety. Paul was a man wholeheartedly committed to Jesus.  Even for him safety did not appear to be a part of God’s plan. As I read “Voice of the Martyrs” I realize that there are still many Christians today who do not live in safety – nor is it what they are expecting in their Christian life. As Americans we value safety. As Christians I worry that we put too high a priority on it.  

Even in America it is becoming “not safe” to be a Christian. Ask the owner of Chick-Fil-A. Our words are being attacked, our principles are being attacked, the family structure is being attacked. It is not a “safe” world for the Christian.  

With the scriptures as our teacher we cannot deduce that safety is something that God wants for us. Knowledge, courage, grace, mercy, bold teaching of his Word, and living it out for the witness it will be to others is what God expects. He is more interested in our character and in our witness than He is in our happiness, comfort, or safety.  

There is an interesting contrast in the scriptures. We are not promised safety or comfort but  God does promise us His love, His peace, His joy, and abundant life. How do we have all of that if we are not safe? We have to expect these blessings from God, not man. Peter has a word of advice on how to find them from God: ‘For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:10-12)

Our problem is that we think that other people will also honor this behavior.  

Though it may not be wrong to pray for safety, it may be presumptuous to expect it. If God did not choose to provide safety for Paul, and He certainly did not keep Jesus safe, why would we expect it for ourselves? Is it not one of the privileges of Christianity to share in the suffering of Christ? (2 Timothy 2:3)  

Clearly, our true love, peace, joy, and abundant life are spiritual safety that will come from God alone through His Son Jesus Christ. We just may not be physically safe as we enjoy it all.