Praying about big and small things has been an ongoing lesson for me. One of the benefits of prayer is the protection it offers me from making hasty decisions. Many years ago, while we were active duty Navy in Hawaii, I learned once again the necessity of praying about everything. When a military family is moving on to the next duty station, they often sell or give away household items—and even pets.

A woman in our neighborhood approached me and asked me if our family would be interested in taking their white rabbit. I shared this exciting prospect with our kids, and they were jumping up and down, assuring me they would take care of it. Since we couldn’t have a dog because our base house didn’t have a fenced-in yard, a rabbit seemed like a good idea. When I shared this great news with my husband, I didn’t pay attention to his reluctant and hesitant demeanor. The first red flag.

I had a few questions for the neighbor, such as, “Has the rabbit ever bitten any of your family members?” She replied, “Only as many times as you can count on one hand.” She also told me we could just let the rabbit hop around the house. She then handed me a thin leash and nonchalantly said, “You could walk it if you wanted to.” How many red flags did I miss in this conversation?

To make a long story short, no you can’t let a rabbit loose in your house, and you definitely can’t walk a rabbit. After a failed attempt at walking “Snowball” one day, a neighbor mentioned she had seen me walking my rabbit. I could see the corners of her mouth quivering from the struggle not to laugh out loud. Yes, it was now my rabbit because the kids reneged on their responsibilities of rabbit care.

This seems like a trivial thing to pray about, but I’ve learned that God cares about everything we bring before Him. Often in my exuberance of a great idea or opportunity, there is a brief window to make the right decision, but only after much prayer. Prayer gives me time to pause and process even the simplest, or more complex choices.

E.M. Bounds says in his book Catching a Glimpse Of Heaven, “God will manage our affairs if we are filled with His affairs.” If we are immersed in God’s Word and laboring in prayer, our thoughts, choices, concerns, and even our behavior will reflect that. Filling our mind and heart with His timeless truths will give us a perspective and wisdom that is pure and true.

    “My son, if you will receive my words, And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your ear to understanding.” Proverbs 2:1-2

    “For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity.” Proverbs 2:6-7

Another benefit of prayer is the protection it offers me from letting unwholesome words drop from my lips. Psalms 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Sometimes our mouths are filled with harsh judgment, criticism, gossip and slander. But Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be filled with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”

Spending time praying for others rather than talking about them offers me protection against sins of the tongue. Praying for others allows me to think carefully and slowly about situations and individuals and gives me a healthy biblical perspective. The practice of praying before we speak will teach us to say fewer words or no words at all. Unhealthy and careless words fall from our lips in our homes, workplace, neighborhoods, and churches. The Bible has scores of verses concerning the tongue and the devastation it can render. We would do well to listen!

Here are some practical ways to seek protection through prayer.

• Look at the prayers of Jesus. We can’t do any better than to model His prayers.

• From time to time, highlight and review all the verses in Proverbs that talk about the tongue and seeking God’s wisdom.

• Practice praying over every decision, whether big or small.

• Renew your mind regularly by immersing yourself in God’s Word.

• Take note of scriptures that tell us when Jesus spoke and when He kept silent.

• Prayer takes work. Make it a priority in your life.

• Make prayer a part of your family. Our children and grandchildren will pick up the practice of prayer if we model it for them. Remember, what’s important to us will be important to them.

Rabbits aren’t meant to be walked—neither are Christians meant to live their lives apart from the protection that God offers through His Word and prayer. There’s a reason Petco doesn’t sell rabbit leashes!