A relative of mine recently asked for prayer. She had numbness in her face and pain in her joints - along with that she had fear. I thought of this most diligently and my conclusion was to pray for her fear. Her pain may be old age or arthritis but we all eventually get old, the fear is what concerned me. I thought of John 14 Let not your hearts be troubled , neither let it be afraid. Of course this is the beginning and the end of the verse. So eloquently Jesus explains why we are not to be afraid in the middle, in my Fathers house are many mansions, if it were not so I would not have told you.
I also thought of the words of FDR as we were in a climatic moment during wartime, there is nothing to fear but fear itself.
We all experience pain at one point or another , it is our body saying it needs attention either bones , muscle or tissue. Sometimes even an exposed nerve or even emotion can bring on pain. Emotional pain is as serious as physical pain and can lead to other complications. Jesus realized this saying "Let not your heart be troubled." This is not a band aid but a complete healing thought, if read through neither let it be afraid. Fear comes in many forms as does pain. Fear of losing a relationship, Fear of losing your job or security. Fear of the unknown is often the greatest fear of all, which is why Jesus goes on to explain what awaits the believer. To conquer death you must first conquer fear. I have held the hand of the dying in various time of my life. Once a relative whom I prayed with was dying - she went from a frown to a peaceful smile in the last moments. Not because of my prayer , maybe it offered some comfort but because they had a glimpse of the other side and that smile was the last impression on her face.
It is not my intention to belittle anyones pain - certainly that needs to be dealt with either by prayer or a physician. My experience has been the fear that follows pain is often worse than the pain itself, anxiety brought on by pain , even emotional can often lead to a heart attack. Jesus understood this and states ,"neither let it be afraid." Coping with fear or anxiety is something we can practice ahead of time. Think of a better time in your life , perhaps a favorite place or a word of inspiration. The worst thing you can do is let fear grow. I know phobias are also real for some, fear of water, of heights,of being alone, of being in a crowd. Wow! thats a contrast some people actually afraid of crowds and others of being alone! Fear can muster itself in all kinds of disguises. The greatest is fear of the unknown , so here we have it being afraid of things that are known and the unknown!
It almost is sad, to think many spend their entire lives living in that fear of the unknown. That is why we need to establish our faith ahead of time. It is something like filling a canteen before crossing a desert or carrying a lantern into a cave. Why not fill your hearts with faith before crossing the divide between this world and the next. I always think of Psalms 23 , and it is often a favorite of the jewish faith - read at most jewish funerals and others.
My only hope is my relative not be overwhelmed by fear. I think of a wound as pain and the bleeding as fear , we need to stop the bleeding before dealing with the pain. Calm your fears, then act on the pain. Jesus recognized these are both real issues we must confront and deal with.
-Pray for you Donna and all the millions of people going through Pain and Fear.
amen.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/pain-of-reality-and-fear-of-unknown/
I also thought of the words of FDR as we were in a climatic moment during wartime, there is nothing to fear but fear itself.
We all experience pain at one point or another , it is our body saying it needs attention either bones , muscle or tissue. Sometimes even an exposed nerve or even emotion can bring on pain. Emotional pain is as serious as physical pain and can lead to other complications. Jesus realized this saying "Let not your heart be troubled." This is not a band aid but a complete healing thought, if read through neither let it be afraid. Fear comes in many forms as does pain. Fear of losing a relationship, Fear of losing your job or security. Fear of the unknown is often the greatest fear of all, which is why Jesus goes on to explain what awaits the believer. To conquer death you must first conquer fear. I have held the hand of the dying in various time of my life. Once a relative whom I prayed with was dying - she went from a frown to a peaceful smile in the last moments. Not because of my prayer , maybe it offered some comfort but because they had a glimpse of the other side and that smile was the last impression on her face.
It is not my intention to belittle anyones pain - certainly that needs to be dealt with either by prayer or a physician. My experience has been the fear that follows pain is often worse than the pain itself, anxiety brought on by pain , even emotional can often lead to a heart attack. Jesus understood this and states ,"neither let it be afraid." Coping with fear or anxiety is something we can practice ahead of time. Think of a better time in your life , perhaps a favorite place or a word of inspiration. The worst thing you can do is let fear grow. I know phobias are also real for some, fear of water, of heights,of being alone, of being in a crowd. Wow! thats a contrast some people actually afraid of crowds and others of being alone! Fear can muster itself in all kinds of disguises. The greatest is fear of the unknown , so here we have it being afraid of things that are known and the unknown!
It almost is sad, to think many spend their entire lives living in that fear of the unknown. That is why we need to establish our faith ahead of time. It is something like filling a canteen before crossing a desert or carrying a lantern into a cave. Why not fill your hearts with faith before crossing the divide between this world and the next. I always think of Psalms 23 , and it is often a favorite of the jewish faith - read at most jewish funerals and others.
My only hope is my relative not be overwhelmed by fear. I think of a wound as pain and the bleeding as fear , we need to stop the bleeding before dealing with the pain. Calm your fears, then act on the pain. Jesus recognized these are both real issues we must confront and deal with.
-Pray for you Donna and all the millions of people going through Pain and Fear.
amen.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/pain-of-reality-and-fear-of-unknown/
Amen, we have to embrace the truth to set us free from all fears. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love,and a sound mind.
ReplyDeleteIf we prepare spiritually , we can conquer all things through Jesus. I enjoy your blog - He Lives, because it is a living testimony that takes the reader on an adventurous journey as a christian, Thank you.
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