Prayer For Protection From Demonic Influences Smile Dog
Prayers for protection from evil influences are a recurring theme in biblical texts, particularly in the Psalms, which often depict the supplicant surrounded by adversaries and seeking divine refuge. The imagery used can sometimes be vivid, even referring to "dogs" as a metaphor for wicked individuals or forces [1, 2].
The Psalms contain numerous petitions for deliverance from various forms of harm. For instance, Psalm 22:20 asks, "Make my soul safe from the sword, my life from the power of the dog" [1]. Another passage, Psalm 22:16, states, "For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet" [2]. These verses illustrate a plea for protection from malicious entities, whether human or otherwise. Similarly, Psalm 64:2 requests, "Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil" [4]. This reflects a desire for safety from those who plot harm, a theme also noted by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, who describe Psalm 64 as a "prayer for deliverance from cunning and malicious enemies" [8]. Matthew Henry, commenting on Psalm 17:8, observes that David prayed for preservation from enemies seeking his life, seeing this as both a prediction of Christ's preservation and a pattern for Christians to commit their souls to God's keeping [9].
The concept of seeking divine protection extends beyond physical threats to include spiritual and moral dangers. Psalm 119:29, for example, prays, "Keep me from the way of deceit. Grant me your law graciously!" [3]. This highlights a desire for guidance away from falsehood and towards God's truth. John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, discusses how prayers often reflect a recognition of human perversity and a need for divine intervention to incline the heart towards God's ways, citing Psalm 119:36 ("Incline my heart unto thy testimonies") as an example [5]. Calvin emphasizes the antithesis between the rebellious human heart and the divine correction that brings it to obedience [5].
Early Christian liturgy also included prayers for divine safeguarding. The Divine Liturgy of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark contains a prayer where the priest gives thanks to God "because Thou hast shielded, rescued, helped, and guided us all the days of our" lives [7]. This demonstrates a continuous reliance on God's protective care within the worship life of the early church.
The imagery of "dogs" in a negative sense is not unique to the Psalms. The Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 63b.1, interprets Job 6:14 ("kindness from his friend and awe of the Almighty will leave") by noting that in Greek, "dog" is lamas. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak suggests that keeping an "evil dog" can lead one to divest themselves of the fear of Heaven, connecting the animal with a loss of reverence for God [12]. This illustrates a broader ancient understanding of "dogs" as symbols of negative influences or forces that can draw one away from piety.
The act of prayer itself is seen as a means of seeking God's intervention and protection. Calvin notes that while God assents to prayers, even those with "some mixture of good zeal" but also "vicious longing for vengeance," the ideal is for prayers to be framed in conformity with God's will [6]. He also stresses the importance of the Holy Spirit instructing believers on how to pray correctly, as humans are otherwise unable to "open our lips before God without dangers" [10]. The Lord's Prayer, according to Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, serves as a model for how much real prayer can be compressed into few words, indicating its significance as a form of petition [11].
Sources
- Psalms “Psalms 22:20 (BBE) — Make my soul safe from the sword, my life from the power of the dog.”
- Psalms “For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet. -- Psalms 22:16”
- Psalms “Keep me from the way of deceit. Grant me your law graciously! -- Psalms 119:29”
- Psalms “Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil; -- Psalms 64:2”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 39: view, likewise the prayers of the saints correspond. Thus Solomon prays that the Lord may “incline our hearts unto him, to walk in his ways, and keep his commandments” ( 1 Kings 8:58 ); intimating that our heart is perverse, and naturally indulges in rebellion against the Divine law, until it be turned. Again, it is said in the Psalms, “Incline my heart unto thy testimonies,” ( Ps. 119:36 ). For we should always note the antithesis between the rebellious movement of the heart, and the correction by which it is subdued to obedience.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: ( Judges 9:20 ); and hence God, by complying with the execration, seems to approve of passionate impulses. Similar fervor also seized Samson, when he prayed, “Strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes,” ( Judges 16:28 ). For although there was some mixture of good zeal, yet his ruling feeling was a fervid, and therefore vicious longing for vengeance. God assents, and hence apparently it might be inferred that prayers are effectual, though not framed in confor”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius — THE DIVINE LITURGY OF THE HOLY APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST MARK,(1) (part 1): THE DISCIPLE OF THE HOLY PETER.(2) The Priest. 1. Peace be to all. The People. And to thy spirit. The Deacon. Pray. The People. Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy. The Priest prays secretly.(3) We give Thee thanks, yea, more than thanks, O Lord our God, the Father of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, for all Thy goodness at all times and in all places, because Thou hast shielded, rescued, helped, and guided us all the days of ou”
- Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 64 (introduction): A prayer for deliverance from cunning and malicious enemies, with a confident view of their overthrow, which will honor God and give joy to the righteous. (Psa 64:1-10) preserve . . . fear--as well as the danger producing it.”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 17:8: We may observe, in these verses, I. What David prays for. Being compassed about with enemies that sought his life, he prays to God to preserve him safely through all their attempts against him, to the crown to which he was anointed. This prayer is both a prediction of the preservation of Christ through all the hardships and difficulties of his humiliation, to the glories and joys of his exalted state, and a pattern to Christians to commit the keeping of their souls to God, trusting him to preserve them to his heavenly kingdom. He prays, 1. That he himself might be”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: same time, he reminds us of our unhappy condition in not being able to open our lips before God without dangers unless his Spirit instruct us how to pray aright ( Rom. 8:26 ). The higher value, therefore, ought we to set on the privilege, when the only begotten Son of God puts words into our lips, and thus relieves our minds of all hesitation. 35. This form or rule of prayer is composed of six petitions . For I am prevented from agreeing with those who divide it into seven by the adversative mode of diction used by the Evangelist, ”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 6:9: After this manner--more simply "Thus." therefore pray ye--The "ye" is emphatic here, in contrast with the heathen prayers. That this matchless prayer was given not only as a model, but as a form, might be concluded from its very nature. Did it consist only of hints or directions for prayer, it could only be used as a directory; but seeing it is an actual prayer--designed, indeed, to show how much real prayer could be compressed into the fewest words, but still, as a prayer, only the more incomparable for that--it is strange that there should be a dou”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 63b.1: kindness from his friend and awe of the Almighty will leave” (Job 6:14), since in the Greek language they call a dog lamas . Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: One who keeps an evil dog in his home even divests himself of fear of Heaven, as it is stated at the end of that verse: “And awe of the Almighty will leave.””