Every morning I pray,
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father,
You have brought me in safety to this new day. Preserve me by Your mighty power that I may not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. In all I do direct me to the fulfilling of Your purpose; through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.
Every night I pray,
Father,
You have brought me safely through another day and for that I give You thanks. Forgive me the sins I have committed this day. Deliver me from foolish thoughts and evil desires. Grant that I may rise from this rest to glorify You in all that I do; through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.
One thing that they have in common is the idea of safety. When I pray these prayers I am not thinking about how God will make sure or has made sure that I haven't had any problems. This isn't about having a comfortable life. The safety isn't about physical safety. It's about spiritual safety. I live on a battlefield. My warfare isn't with other people but with 'the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places'. The safety that I pray for and give thanks for is that the Father has protected me from my greatest enemy, Satan. Because of the kindness of my Father, I have not been duped into turning away from Jesus. I suspect that I will pray those words on my deathbed, sick from something terminal. But though my body is being destroyed I will still be kept safe by the mighty power of God. My great desire is not for an easy life. Jesus never promised that to any of us. My great desire is that I would be kept safe so that I might serve the one who has loved me so much.