So we've all heard of praying for protection and we do. We pray for protection for ourselves,
for our loved ones. But have you ever heard of praying, sorry, worshipping for protection?
Well, I'm going to tell you a story of just that and what happened. Welcome to 1224 by
Worship Transforms where we want to empower you to live your best life through biblical
inspiration and through connecting with Jesus in at least 12 minutes of meditative worship.
Why 12 minutes? Well, research has shown that meditating on a good God for 12 minutes has
the ability to form new healthy neural pathways in our brains. That's new healthy ways of thinking
that align with the one that we're focused on. And when we combine that with music,
well, those neural pathways become stickier and able to stay around longer. So a few months ago,
I was in my kitchen and I was cooking, which I love to do. And I looked outside my window and
on the deck railing right outside my window was this beautiful hawk. It was just hanging out
there. And I thought, Oh, my word, I have got to get my phone so I can show my family this. And
as I grabbed it, I looked the hawk was doing something I was not thrilled about. It was eating
my herbs. How many of you like to garden? I am an avid gardener and I love my herbs. So I don't
like when critters eat them. And so I'm like, All right, I've got to go out there and get that hawk
out of my parsley. So I very carefully opened the door and went outside thinking, of course,
the hawk's going to fly away. And it didn't, it just hung out there. And so I thought, All right,
what do I do now? And honestly, I was a little intimidated because it was only about eight feet
from me to that hawk. And, you know, hawks have sharp beaks and talons. And I didn't want those
anywhere close to me. So I also then asked the Lord, All right, it's not every day that a hawk
comes right there on my deck. In fact, I've never seen it before. Lord, is there something you want
me to notice about this? Anything you want to tell me by this amazing hawk being here? And I really
was reminded of how hawks are predators, right? And they go after their prey. They've got an amazing
eyesight and this view, we're pretty high up. So they've got this view and they can see the whole
landscape in front of them and go after what they want. And I thought, Well, I don't want it going
after me. But I also know that's the way I want to be when I'm praying for something, when I'm
maybe battling something for myself or for my family, I want to know what to go after. And I
just felt impressed to right then begin to worship the Lord for protection for my family and for
myself for any predators that might come against us. And so I did. I right there when that hawk was
there, I began to sing about being resurrected with Jesus, being protected by the blood of Jesus,
being a child of God. And you know what? That hawk just hung out the whole time, just kind of looked
at me and did his thing. And after about 10 minutes, he finally flew away. And I went back inside. And
I got this phone call right when I went back inside. And it was my mom. And my mom doesn't
usually call me on the phone anymore because well, she's got dementia. And boy, it's a brutal,
brutal disease. My mom is such an amazing woman. She is just still so full of beauty. And my dad
is such a wonderful husband and father as he cares for my mom. But so my mom, I get this call
from my mom on my dad's phone and she says, Lori, you've got to come pick us up because we were
just in a terrible car accident. And immediately I'm like, well, mom, are you okay? And she said,
I don't know. I said, okay, well, at least I knew she was talking, right? So that's, that's a good
first step. And I said, well, how about dad? Is he okay? And she said, well, he's alive. How many of
you know that's not really what you want to hear? I mean, I'm don't get me wrong. I'm super glad
he was alive, but that's the only information I had. So not really comforting. Well, just then
someone else takes the phone and it's our friend Gail. She's a family friend. And Gail, how are you
doing? And she said, yeah, Lori, your parents have been in a terrible car accident. But they're
okay. Thank you. Thank you. And the other car flipped twice. And I actually talked to the driver.
And that's what she's telling me. I talked to the driver and the driver said, I have no doubt. I
know there were angels there protecting us. She walked away unscathed after that car flipped
twice. And my parents were completely fine. That car hit right on the wheelbase at the driver's
side. If it hit hit an inch or two behind where it hit, it would have decimated my dad's legs and
done who knows what to the car like spun it around or I don't know what. It was just soaked God's
grace. And Gail being there, she was just happened to be driving by at a time she never usually goes
by that place. And as she was driving by, they closed off the road. She was actually the last car
to get through before they completely closed it. And as she was driving by, she noticed it was my
parents sitting by the side of the road. And she immediately stopped and got out and told me, Lori,
I'll wait with them for the two hours it's going to take you to get here. And she did. She waited
for two hours and I was so grateful for God's protection over their lives that I realized as I
rushed to my car to make the drive that the time that I was there praying, worshiping over my family
and when that hawk was there was right about the time my parents had that accident. And I was so
grateful that I paid attention to the Holy Spirit's prompting. And it's such a good reminder to do
that. Because he is communicating to us all the time. And something so innocuous as a hawk
there on your deck could be indication that he's got something more to say to you. So I'm really
excited today because we are going to worship through Psalm 91. And it's one of my very favorite
Psalms. I love this Psalm. It's a beautiful picture of the person who finds their refuge in the Lord.
And their shelter in him. I first wrote the first half of this meditation actually at the beginning
of COVID when we were all sheltered in place. Remember that? Hiding in our homes. And I realized
that he was my shelter in place. I didn't have anything to be afraid of. And though we're trying
to whip up a bunch of fear, we didn't have to be afraid because we knew who our protector is.
And here's the thing I want us to remember too. You know, we can pray for protection and it's so
important that we do that. But it's so powerful when we declare Scripture. That's what Jesus did
in the garden. When, not the garden, sorry, in the desert when he was being tempted.
And the accuser was trying to get him to follow after him. And Jesus didn't use just his own words.
No, he used Scripture. Well, he is the word. But he quoted Scripture back to the accuser. And that's
what we want to do. But unless it's hidden in our heart, we won't be able to do that. It's,
sure, we can pray, but we won't be able to have his words to declare. So honestly, that's one of
the reasons I've been so passionate about getting this project out there because that's how I
memorized Scripture. I put it to music. And when I sing it over and over, that melody with the words
comes back to me when I need it. And I'm able to declare that. I'm able to pray through that. And
that's what I want you to be able to do. So after I post the divos with the worship meditation, I will
also post just the worship meditation. So you can come back to that again and again if you want to.
So you can get it in your way of thinking, get his word in your heart in an easy way
for that to happen. Hey, if you know someone else who would benefit from that, would you please
share this with them? We appreciate your liking and subscribing and getting the word out there.
And let us know how God has been working in your life through this. So Holy Spirit,
we just thank you for the opportunity to meditate on you, Father, to meditate on your word. Jesus,
you are the word. So Holy Spirit, we just invite you to come.
So
My hiding place, my present hope and confidence
You are my protector that I run to
My true shelter in place, my rescue
I won't be afraid of things in the night
No disease in the dark or fears by daylight
Your faithfulness is my armor and your promise is my shield
Though all thousand may fall around me I know I'm safe in you here
Take me to your shelter where you live on high
I rest in your shadow, it all should die
Hear my cry in the trial, I'm never alone
When I call you a lancer and you I am home
You are my protector that I run to
My true shelter in place, my rescue
I won't be afraid of things in the night
No disease in the dark or fears by daylight
Your faithfulness is my armor and your promise is my shield
Though all thousand may fall around me I know I'm safe in you here
I was you on abandon, that's not who you are
I'm fixed on your goodness and held in your heart
Hear my cry in the trial, I'm never alone
When I call you a lancer and you I am home
You are my protector that I run to
My own shelter in place, my rescue
So I won't be afraid of things in the night
No disease in the dark or fears by daylight
Your faithfulness is my armor and your promise is my shield
Though all thousand may fall around me I know I'm safe in you here
So I won't be afraid of things in the night
No disease in the dark or fears by daylight
Your faithfulness is my armor and your promise is my shield
Though all thousand may fall around me I know I'm safe in you here
Here
If you make the Lord your refuge
Make the most high your shelter No evil will conquer you
No plague will come near your home If you make the Lord your refuge
No evil will conquer you No plague will come near your home
If you make the Lord your refuge
For here you will order His angels protect you wherever you go
They will hold you up with their hands You won't even hurt your foot on a stone
He will order His angels protect you wherever you go
They will hold you up with their hands You won't even hurt your foot on a stone
If you make the Lord your refuge
Make the most high your shelter
The Lord says I will rescue those who love me
Protecting those who trust in my name
When they call on me I'll answer I will be with them in trouble
Rescue in honor and reward them with a long life
And give them my salvation
The Lord says I will rescue those who love me
Protecting those who trust in my name
When they call on me I'll answer I will be with them in trouble
Rescue in honor and reward them with a long life
And give them my salvation
My salvation
I'll be their protector
You're my protector
I'll be their protector
Thank you Jesus, that we can count on you to protect us
When we call on your name, when we make you our refuge
When we make you the most high our shelter
So we do that right now
Jesus remind us to come back to this over and over again
So we continue to make you our refuge
We cry out that for our loved ones as well, Jesus,
which you protect them.
Make them your refuge.
Send your angels to guard and protect us.
That we might serve you all of our days
and love you as you loved us.
May you go in the goodness of God.