Don’t Go to Sleep on the Job
With the astonishing number of attempts to assassinate President Trump, the body of Christ MUST be faithful in our prayers for him, his family, and staff. This post is a teaching on prayer for protection, not only for leaders, but for anyone.
PAGA
Interestingly, one of the meanings of the Hebrew word for “intercession,” paga, is “boundary” or “border,” the point at which two territories meet or connect.(1) Paga is used repeatedly this way in Joshua 19. For example, Joshua 19:11 states that Zebulon’s “border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to (paga) Dabbasheth, and reached to (paga) the river that is before Jokneam.” This use of paga continues throughout the chapter.
When used in the context of intercessory prayer, paga refers to establishing boundaries, perimeters, or walls of protection. Through prayer, we can build shields, boundaries, and walls of protection around people and places.
Isaiah 26:1 and 60:18 speak of God’s protection as “walls”: “In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: ‘We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for security.” “Violence will not be heard again in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise.” Zechariah 2:5 speaks of protective walls of fire: “For I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”
Supernatural protection occurs daily through consistent prayer, but also at strategic times as intercessors are sensitive to the promptings of Holy Spirit. He alerts us to pray for others in critical times of need. These alerts from the Holy Spirit can come in various ways: a sense of foreboding, an uneasiness concerning someone, a dream or vision, or simply by hearing Him alert us to pray for someone.
The Holy Spirit speaks of these alerts in Ephesians 6:18, a passage regarding spiritual warfare: “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” Most readers assume this verse is telling us to pray all the time. However, it is not, nor would that be possible. The word “times” is the Greek word kairos, which means “strategic or opportune time.”(2) God is saying that, in light of the spiritual warfare always occurring on earth, we must be alert for satan’s attacks - both for ourselves and for others. When warned of these kairos, strategically timed attacks, we must pray! When we pray, God will intervene.
Hebrews 4:16 also uses this word for strategic timing, kairos, in the context of prayer: “Let us come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time [kairos] of need.” Without question, we are welcome at God’s throne of grace at all times, but this verse refers to strategic times of need. The Amplified Translation makes this clear, stating that if we pray at these times, we will “Find His amazing grace to help in time of need, an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment.”
The Hebrew counterpart to the Greek word kairos is eth, which also means “strategic time.” Used in Psalm 9:9, God tells us He is “a stronghold in times [eths] of trouble.”(3) This and the above verses tell us to pray at strategic times of trouble or spiritual attacks, and receive the help we need.
The late Evangelist, Oral Roberts, told of experiencing this type of the Holy Spirit’s intervention during a kairos-timed attack against his family:
“After ministering at a conference over a thousand miles away from home, Oral had gone to bed in his hotel when he was suddenly awakened and heard these words, ‘Your wife and children in Tulsa are in serious danger. Pray.’ He spent time in deep intercession for his family until he finally felt the burden lift. When he returned home to Tulsa, his wife, Evelyn, told him that one night, after she and the children had gone to bed, she heard someone trying to break into their home. Paralyzed with fright, she had been unable to do anything other than to pray for God's help and for Oral to be alerted to pray for them.
“Thankfully, the intruder left without ever entering the house. As they compared their experiences, the Robertses realized that Oral had been awakened and alerted to pray at the exact time that Evelyn had heard the intruder.”(4)
That is a kairos attack - and a kairos answer - to paga prayer! Walls or boundaries of protection were established through intercession, and God's promise of protection was fulfilled. Never assume that a warning such as this is just your imagination. Engage your faith in God’s protection and pray!
Ephesians 6:18, the verse mentioned above that tells us to pray at all kairos times, also urges us to be “watching” for one another. This word (agrupneo) means literally to “stay awake.”(5) Just as “praying always” does not mean we have to pray 24/7, this word doesn’t mean we should never sleep! It is a parabolic way of saying we must remain alert, just as an awake sentry or night watchman would do. We have all heard the phrase “don’t go to sleep on the job,” which means the same thing. This passage in Ephesians is telling us we must be alert, watching for one another. As we do so, Holy Spirit will faithfully do as He said: alert us to the kairos attacks of the enemy.
Pray with me:
Father, Your Word tells us that if we are alert, Holy Spirit will warn us of spiritual attacks and strategic times when urgent prayers of protection are needed. Of course, we can and should dwell in the secret place of protection daily (Psalm 91), but we can also be alerted to imminent danger to ourselves or others. We ask You for high levels of discernment and sensitivity to these alerts, for our families, friends, leaders, and others.
We will be faithful to pray during these times, building walls, boundaries, and perimeters of protection around ourselves and others. We declare that as we do so, no weapon formed against them or us will prosper. This is our heritage as family members of the Most High God (Isaiah 54:17).
We pray today for our President, his family, and team. We ask for spiritual walls/boundaries of protection to be placed around them, shielding them from every attack waged against them. Give all the supernatural help needed to those assigned to protect them, and also to those charged with uncovering evil plots. And give us intercessors keen ears to hear when strategic prayer is needed. All this we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Our decree:
We decree that we will be alert to Holy Spirit’s promptings, allowing Him to use us as sources of divine protection.
Today’s post was adapted from my book, The Essential Guide to Prayer, published by Baker Books.
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James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 6293.
Ibid, ref. no. 2540.
Ibid, ref. no. 853.
Oral Roberts, A Prayer Cover Over Your Life (Tulsa, OK: Oral Roberts, 1990), pp. 10-11.
James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 69.