The Bible several times uses the term “hedge” to describe what God builds around a person to shield them. A hedge can be high or low. It is not too high to protect us from everything, but it is high enough to stop some things.
God can lower it, of course. He did so with Job, to demonstrate that even through the worst stuff the devil could throw at him, Job would keep his faith. Not all of us would stand to have happen all the things Job did. But, that’s okay.
He made each of us special. He wants us to know some of how bad the world is, so we know what to avoid and that we should choose His perfect goodness over evil. But, He doesn’t expose us to too much, or we’d be very scared. For instance, He doesn’t show us the spiritual realm, and all the huge battles that go on inside it every day. He only gives us what we can handle with his help.
Think of it this way. Say you’re watching a small child. You protect that child by teaching them not to cross the street alone. They can’t think of all the different things that can happen at the same time. It’s hard for them to even watch for cars. As they get older, and you work with them more, you might cross with them, but let them try to decide when to go, correcting them and stopping them if they make a bad choice. Finally, that child is ready to cross alone. But, that age will be different for different people. Some are so mentally challenged they can never cross themselves.
What does this all have to do with prayer? Prayer does two main things here First, you can get discernment about what is needed to protect someone. Second, you can build that hedge of protection through prayer. That can be as simple as a small child asking the Lord for help with nightmares, and thinking to tell any nightmare monsters “Jesus Christ is Lord” and knowing they’ll have to leave. It can be as complex as praying for God to protect a family in a really violent area.
Psalm 23:4says, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. The Lord is with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” What King David felt 3,000 years ago is still true today. People can feel it when someone is praying. God can and will protect, unless it is somehow His will, like above, that something bad happen. But, if it does, you ca be certain that it will be what is best for yo. Because, He works “all things together for good to them that love God.” (Rom. 8:28)
