A Prayer of Protection for Husbands

A green earplug. That is what tumbled out of my dryer last night as I was washing my husband’s work clothes. Shortly after, my knees hit the ground, accompanied by tears.

You see, many 9-to-5 workers won’t understand the significance of that small foam piece, but for a manufacturer’s wife or daughter, it holds a little more meaning.

Growing up, my dad worked in manufacturing. As the oldest of six, one of my chores (and methods of escape) was doing laundry. Maybe it was the fresh scent, the noise of the tumbling dryer, or the relief when the basket was finally empty. Back then, I enjoyed this task.

Until those pesky earplugs would make an appearance.

Flash forward to 2025; the days of doing laundry in my mom’s house are long gone. Instead, nowadays, this chore seems to be an even bigger task for me to accomplish.

However, this week, as my husband was working, the familiar piece of foam fell to the ground while I was cleaning his clothes. It was then that the Lord showed me something I’d never realized about those squishy earplugs.

Protection.

Of course, they’re for ear protection. Yet, the more I began to ponder, they are so much more than that. My husband, just like my father before him, goes to work every day to provide for me. Working long shifts, my husband continually forgoes sleep and strength so that I can live the life I’ve always dreamed of.

It got me thinking, how exactly am I praying for him?

I diligently toss up a quick prayer here and there when things are looking low. But am I storming the throne, asking for his protection?

The thought of him losing his hearing or - even more unfathomable - not pulling back into my driveway is more than I can bear. When did it become okay to lump his protection into one measly prayer?

It wasn’t until I came to AFA that I realized the importance of Psalm 91. It says:

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.”

Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.

Wives, let us pray this prayer for our husbands and families daily. Is the Lord our refuge? Or just a Sunday morning comfort?

Now, more than ever, the enemy seeks to destroy.

If you’re not bold enough to passionately pray for protection for your people, who will be?

Because those earplugs won’t be enough to protect my man’s soul, but the one who created heaven and earth can.

At least to me, this is one of the most important passages in Scripture. I would encourage every wife and mom to claim this truth over their family. Memorize it. Believe it. And most importantly, run to the shelter of the Most High.

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