Before Yaakov leaves Israel and goes out to the diaspora, HaShem bestows upon him a special promise:
 

"And behold, I am with you, and I will protect you in all (the paths) on which you will walk, and I will return you to this land, as I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken to you."
 

However, several verses later Yaakov says a prayer in the following words:

"And Yaakov made a vow, saying: If HaShem will be with me and protect me in this path on which I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I will return in peace to my father's house, and HaShem will be my Lord..."
 

And this is surprising since just before, HaShem promised Yaakov that He will be with him and protect him, so why does Yaakov immediately request: "If HaShem will be with me"? This is exactly what HaShem promised him!
 

Perhaps we can say that HaShem's promise was one thing, and that Yaakov requests something else.
 

Rashi hints at this in his commentary regarding Yaakov's words "and I will return in peace" -untainted by sin. (beShalom literally means in peace, but it also refers to shalem, meaning whole, untainted.)  
 

The Kli Yakar says: Heaven forbid that we should say that Yaakov was unsure about Hashem's blessings. Therefore we have no choice but to say that Yaakov asked for something entirely different.
 

Along with HaShem's promise to guard over Yaakov's body, this ish tam (virtuous and honest man), who sat in the tents of Torah, prayed for the protection of his soul.
 

Protecting one's soul from sin depends on a man's free choice, but he also requires the aid of Heaven, as the Beraitha says in Kiddushin 30b: Rabbi Shimon ben Levi said: every day, each man's (evil) inclination attempts to overpower him and kill him, as it says (Tehillim 37:32):  "The wicked one awaits the tzaddik and desires to kill him." And without HaShem's help, no one could withstand him, as it says in the next verse: "HaShem, do not abandon me in his hand."
 

"And I will protect you in all (the paths) on which you will walk" – all the paths are considered dangerous; however Yaakov asks "and protect me in this path on which I am going" – on a specific path – "the way of HaShem in Torah and Mitzvot." And the word "this" hints at "indeed there is HaShem in this place."
 

Additionally, what Yaakov said "in which I am going" shows that he is requesting something which depends upon him, meaning his free choice and his power to act.
 

Furthermore, HaShem promises that He will return Yaakov "to this land" meaning to Eretz Israel, the glory of all the lands, "upon which are the eyes of HaShem your Lord." Nevertheless, Yaakov adds the request "and I will return in peace to my father's house" – even in Eretz Israel he must be wary of goyeii ha'aretz (the nations living in the land) whose deeds are corrupt, and only returning to beit abba will protect him from sin.
 

The Kli Yakar asks an additional question: why does Yaakov elaborate "and give me bread to eat and clothing to wear" when it is clear that bread is intended for eating and clothing is for wearing?
 

The reason is: certainly Yaakov Avinu was not worried about poverty or insufficient means, since HaShem promised that He will be with him. Rather, here he is requesting not to go astray because of an abundance of money, as Shlomo HaMelech says in Mishlei (30:8):
 

"Poverty or richness give me not, provide me with my allotted bread", as the Metsudat David explains: sustain me with sufficient food for my soul to live, and no more.
 

So we learned that on one hand, one must do all in his power to guard his soul and not to descend spiritually. In addition, he must pray to Hashem that He will assist and support him, and as a result he will merit to be whole in his body and his possessions.  

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