Guide, Guard, and Direct Us
There many phrases that are used in public prayers that we, who have been a part of the church for all of our lives, have heard many times. These are not improper or wrong. They are just overused often without really understanding what they mean or even if they have a meaning. One of those phrases is “guard, guide, and direct us.” These three words are similar. There are slight differences in their meaning. “Guard” is a defensive term. Using this word in prayer seems to ask God to protect us in our journey through life. The word “direct” brings the thought to mind asking God to show us or point us in the right direction.
Now we come to the word “guide.” As a noun, a guide is “a person who advises or shows the way to others.” It is also “a structure or marking which directs the motion or positioning of something.” As a verb, a guide will “show or indicate the way; direct or have an influence on the course of action of (someone or something).”
Fifteen hundred years before Jesus appeared, it was prophesied that He would come as a guide. Oddly, this prophecy came from the mouth of Balaam. He said in Numbers 24:17, “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel and batter the brow of Moab and destroy all the sons of tumult.”
The image of a star as a guide (“shall come”) is powerful. The stars are set in the sky and they do not change. The various star formations, Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, and Capricornus, have aided travelers by sea and land. Jesus was coming to be the guiding Star for all people.
There are two other ways this word, guide, is translated. In Jeremiah 25:30, God uses the word to describe what would happen to the evil nations upon whom He would send His punishment. “He will give a shout, as those who tread the grapes…” The word “tread” is the same word translated “guide.” Another is “bend the bow” (Jeremiah 46:9).
These two words give us insight into the idea of a guide. Treading grapes was an intentional act. It forced the juice into a particular opening that led to a collection place. Guiding someone is intentionally directing someone into a particular opening and place. The bending of the bow is also an intentional act. It is the aiming of the arrow that gives us the connection to the word “guide.” A guide points someone in the right direction and does whatever is necessary to aim them.
In the New Testament, John 16:13, Jesus promised His apostles that He would send them a guide—the Holy Spirit—when He left them. He was going to guide them into “all truth for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak…” Not only did the apostles need guidance, all people do. Nowhere is that stately more clearly than in Acts 8:31.
This is the incident when Philip encountered the Eunuch as He traveled back to His home country after worshipping in Jerusalem. He was reading from the book of Isaiah as he traveled. As Philip approached him, he asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:30). The Eunuch’s response reveals the common truth behind everyone. “How can I unless someone guides me?”
How can anyone know where to go or how to go spiritually without a guide? God never intended to leave us alone and let us find out for ourselves what we need to do. None of us would ever be able to figure that out on our own. So, we pray, “Lord God, guide, guard, and direct us.”
— Mike Johnson
