He tackles the tough question.
In a recent podcast episode, well-known Bible teacher John Piper addressed the question of whether it’s meaningful to pray for protection when suffering is inevitable. The question came from a listener, Belinda, who had experienced the heartbreaking death of her young daughter and a traumatic robbery at gunpoint. Despite her ongoing prayers for safety, she felt uncertain about their value, given that God didn’t protect her in these tragic events. She questioned why she should continue praying for protection when it seemed that suffering was unavoidable.
Piper explained that praying for protection is not pointless. He emphasized that Christians should pray for protection from trials that might exceed their ability to endure. He referenced 1 Corinthians 10:13, which assures believers that God won’t allow them to face challenges beyond their strength and that He provides a way to endure temptation. Piper acknowledged that God sometimes allows suffering for purposes such as strengthening believers’ reliance on Him and helping them glorify His grace, even in the midst of pain.
The Bible teacher also offered several reasons why believers should continue praying for protection. He pointed out that Scripture encourages prayer for safety, and there are protections that believers may not experience unless they ask. He assured Belinda that her prayers for protection were heard and that, although she had faced deep suffering, God had still been protecting her in many ways, even though some of those acts of protection were unseen.
In addressing Belinda’s grief over her daughter’s death and the robbery, Piper encouraged her to trust that God had been working in her life, even through the pain. He assured her that, despite the hardships, God’s wisdom and goodness were at work. While the reasons for some sufferings may remain unclear, Piper reinforced that it is never pointless to pray for protection, as God is sovereign, good, and always at work for the benefit of His children.