Praying a Hedge of Protection

Previously I wrote a post about praying a “hedge of thorns” around someone as a type of prayer could be prayed on behalf of a person that might be wandering off track or pursuing things or people that may not be good for them. Similarly, another form of prayer is praying a hedge of protection. A hedge of thorns is for protection also but just a little more specific when praying to keep someone from someone or something. A hedge of protection can be a more general prayer when we want to just ask God to build up a wall of protection or a type of shield as a defense against any kind of harm that might come near.

“Hedge of protection” is used as a metaphor for protection. A hedge is simply just a barrier, border, or boundary surrounding or enclosing something or providing a means of protection or defense. We can ask God to create a safety barrier surrounding us that can protect us from any harm that we might encounter or that might try to come against us. Hedges are also often used as a boundary line to prevent someone or something from crossing to an area where they shouldn’t. Similarly, we can ask God to prevent our enemies from crossing a boundary line meant to protect us.

Some examples of a hedge of protection in scripture

Satan recognized a hedge of protection that God had put around Job.

“Have You not put a hedge [of protection] around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands [and conferred prosperity and happiness upon him], and his possessions have increased in the land.” Job 1:10 (AMP)

A hedge of thorns (a form of a hedge of protection as discussed above) is mentioned in Hosea for the prevention of going down wrong paths.

“Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths. She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.’” Hosea 2:6-7 (ESV)

God describes a hedge as special protection for a vineyard (vineyard=an analogy for Israel here), and the owner of the vineyard (i.e. God) needs only to remove the hedge in order for the vineyard to be left exposed and destroyed.

“Now let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will tear down its hedges and let it be destroyed. I will break down its walls and let the animals trample it.” Isaiah 5:5 (NLT)

Scriptures about being surrounded by protection

There are many scriptures throughout the Bible that present the idea that the Lord surrounds people and places with his protection. Often verbiage is used such as surrounding, going before and following, encamping, enclosing, sheltering, concealing, covering, spreading over, and so on. These could be examples of “hedges” or of God “hedging” his people.

Here is a sampling of some of these scriptures (by no means is this exhaustive…that would be an extremely long list!):

“He found them in a desert land, in an empty, howling wasteland. He surrounded them and watched over them; he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes.” Deuteronomy 32:10 (NLT)

“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.” Psalm 5:11 (NLT)

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” Psalm 18:2 (NLT)

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 (NLT)

“For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.” Psalm 27:5 (NLT)

“You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.” Psalm 31:20 (NLT)

“For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.” Psalm 34:7 (NLT)

“If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.” Psalm 91:9-10 (NLT)

“The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:8 (NIV)

“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.” Psalm 125:2 (NIV)

“Like birds hovering overhead, the LORD Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.” Isaiah 31:5 (NLT)

“Then I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the LORD. And I will be the glory inside the city!’” Zechariah 2:5 (NLT)

I love the different translations for Psalm 139:5 as a picture of a surrounding hedge:

“You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.” (ESV)

“And with your powerful arm you protect me from every side.” (CEV)

“You have enclosed me behind and before, And [You have] placed Your hand upon me.” (AMP)

“You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” (NLT)

Protection in his “wings”

Another scriptural analogy used that could be a different form of a hedge of protection is God covering us with wings as a bird would protect her young by sheltering them with her wings. I previously wrote a post about wings being symbolic of God’s presence. God’s presence can give us a barrier of protection, just like a hedge would.

“Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions.” Deuteronomy 32:11 (NLT)

“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings” Psalm 17:8 (NLT)

“How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 36:7 (NLT)

“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.” Psalm 57:1 (NLT)

“Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!” Psalm 61:4 (NLT)

“For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings [where I am always protected] I sing for joy.” Psalm 63:7 (AMP)

“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” Psalm 91:4 (NLT)

“May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.” Ruth 2:12 (NLT)

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.” Matthew 23:37 (NLT) *see also Luke 13:34

Protection in a fortress

The Bible frequently uses another analogy for God’s protection in the form of something that surrounds and protects us making it difficult for us to be harmed. It’s that of a fortress, shelter, or refuge. I previously wrote a post about the name of Jesus being a strong tower and giving us an elevated position. One advantage of an elevated position is protection. An elevated position provides us with safety, especially when we’re surrounded and enclosed as we would be in a tower or fortress. We are harder to reach and more difficult to target in this protected position. A fortress, tower, shelter, or refuge is known as a place of safety and therefore gives us a position of safety and protection.

Again, there are too many to list here, but here is a sampling of some of the many verses that describe God this way:

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.” 2 Samuel 22:2-3 (NLT) *see also Psalm 18:2

“The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10 (NLT)

“The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.” Psalm 46:7 (NLT) *see also Psalm 46:11

“For you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.” Psalm 61:3 (NLT)

“He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.” Psalm 62:2, 6 (NLT)

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2 (NIV)

“He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him…” Psalm 144:2 (NLT)

“But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O LORD, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat. For the oppressive acts of ruthless people are like a storm beating against a wall” Isaiah 25:4 (NLT)

“LORD, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble!…” Jeremiah 16:19a (NLT)

“The LORD is good–indeed, he is a fortress in time of distress, and he protects those who seek refuge in him.” Nahum 1:7 (NET)

Protection with a shield

Another hedge of protection analogy used in scripture is that God is our shield. We can pray scripture-based prayers to ask God to form a protective shield around us.

Here is a sampling of some of the verses that describe God as our shield:

“How blessed you are, O Israel! Who else is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword!” Deuteronomy 33:29a (NLT)

“But you, O LORD, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.” Psalm 3:3 (NLT)

“God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right.” Psalm 7:10 (NLT)

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” Psalm 18:2 (NLT)

“God’s way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.” Psalm 18:30 (NLT)

“The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” Psalm 28:7 (NLT)

“We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20 (NLT)

“He will cover you and completely protect you with His pinions, And under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a wall.” Psalm 91:4 (AMP)

“He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him. He makes the nations submit to me.” Psalm 144:2 (NLT)

“He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.” Proverbs 2:7-8 (ESV)
“Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.” Proverbs 30:5 (NLT)

Protected by angels

We can pray and ask God to give his angels orders to surround, guard, protect, and defend us. God’s angels can form a hedge of protection around us and they can fight for us on our behalf.

Here is a sampling of some of the verses that describe how God sends angels to protect us:

“See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you.” Exodus 23:20 (NLT)

““Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:16-17 (NIV)

“My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.” Daniel 6:22 (NLT)

“But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.” Daniel 10:13 (NLT)

“For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.” Psalm 34:17 (NLT)

“For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.” Psalm 91:11-12 (NLT)

“In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.” Isaiah 63:9 (NIV)

“Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.” Matthew 18:10 (NLT)

“Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?” Matthew 26:53 (NLT)

“Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!”” Acts 12:11 (NLT)

“Are not all the angels ministering spirits sent out [by God] to serve (accompany, protect) those who will inherit salvation? [Of course they are!]” Hebrews 1:14 (AMP)

Armor of God for protection

We can also help ourselves form a hedge of protection by putting on the armor of God. We can also learn how to use our spiritual authority against the enemy.

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:11-18 (NIV)

Other promises from scripture for a hedge of protection

There are other promises from scripture that we can use as we pray to request a hedge of protection. We can profess, as stated in Isaiah 54, that no weapon formed against us will prosper. We have a promise from Jesus that we are safe and secure in his hand and in the hand of God the Father and cannot be snatched out. Additionally, we have a promise that we are NEVER alone or left without the support and the presence of God Himself. Lastly, Jesus demonstrates a prayer requesting protection from evil and temptation.

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.” Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:28-30 (NIV)

“…for He God Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down, relax My hold on you! Assuredly not! So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm, I will not fear or dread or be terrified. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6 (AMPC)

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:13 (ESV)

Take This Practical Step to Pray a Hedge of Protection:

Prayer is extremely powerful and produces results (James 5:16)!  Here is a prayer that you can pray based on the previous scriptures for a hedge of protection:

Lord, I pray that you would put a hedge of protection around _____ and around all that they have. Please surround, watch over, guard, and defend them. Conceal _____ when trouble comes and keep them safe from those who conspire against them or seek to harm them (whether supernatural OR people). I pray that no evil or harm would overtake them and that no trouble, sickness, tragedy or disaster would come near them.

Let your presence be like a protective wall of fire around _____ to keep them safe. Hem them in, behind and before and protect them on every side. Cover them with your protection as a bird would shelter her young with her wings. Surround _____ like a fortress and be a protective shield around them where the enemy cannot reach them. Let no weapon formed against _____ prosper. Keep them safe and secure in your hand.

Please order your angels to accompany and protect them wherever they go. Finally, Lord, help _____ put on the full armor of God to surround them with protection so that they can take a stand against the devil’s schemes.

Is there anything specific you like to pray for a hedge of protection? Share it with us by leaving a comment below!

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