Praying for protection

There is certainly meaning in “the blood of Jesus,” isn’t there? The Bible makes statements like these: “The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). “Since we have now been justified by his [Christ’s] blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Romans 5:9) “In him [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7). “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).

Praying for “the blood of Jesus to protect our home, family, etc.” calls to mind the blood of the Passover lamb that was applied to the doorframes of the Israelites’ dwellings prior to the tenth plague (Exodus 12:7). Because the lamb pointed ahead to Jesus and his sacrificial work, it comes as no surprise that the New Testament identifies Jesus as “our Passover lamb” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

“Are there problems with praying for the blood of Jesus to protect our home, family, etc.?” you wonder. A “problem” I could foresee, since we do not typically use that terminology, would be confusion in the minds of others with whom you shared the contents of your prayer life. Those people might wonder what you mean by that expression. Their questions would give you an opportunity to explain what you mean.

Another issue is that someone might wrongly identify you with part of the Christian world today that is known for “pleading the blood of Jesus” in their prayers. Some of those people put a great deal of emphasis on the person praying in order for the prayer “to work.” There is even a detailed plan and a web site to explain how to “plead the blood of Jesus.” A Christian known to be using the prayer language of others can wrongly be identified with them and their theology.

Beyond those “problems” of misunderstanding, we certainly enjoy a great deal of freedom in formulating our prayers to God for his protection and guidance. The “blood of Jesus” fits into that freedom.