HAVE NO FEAR,
PRAYER (& GOD) IS HERE
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
It’s March which means it’s the Lenten season. A time of preparation and refection as we approach Easter. A time to keep our thoughts on Jesus and His sacrifice. A time when many Christians choose to sacrifice, fast, or abstain from earthly pleasures . . . TV shows, wine, chocolate, or sugar to name a few common choices.
May I suggest another thing to abstain from?
One that we may not enjoy, but something we all do consistently. . .fear.
With the coronavirus spreading worldwide, fear is evident! Yet we can take comfort in His Word which gives us enough “Fear Nots" to cover every day of the year! The verse above, Isaiah 41:10, says we don’t need to fear because:
God is with us.
God has established a relationship with us.
God assures us of His strengths to help us.
This is what God does for us! He is faithful to watch over us. It's okay to feel afraid, but ultimately all dangers in this world are only temporary, and our “light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
How can we respond to our faithful, loving God? Check out and claim Isaiah 7:4: "Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart. . .”
In one little verse we’re given 4 pieces of advice to respond and claim for ourselves:
Be careful (don’t sin – repent and turn to God)
Keep calm (God is still in control!)
Don’t be afraid (there it is again – no fear – have faith instead)
Do not lose heart (trust in the Lord with all your heart, Proverbs 3:5)
The prescription to fight fear is faith, faith in Jesus. Fear has no power, Jesus does! “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7).
God’s perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18)! His gracious plans cannot be thwarted! He is with each of us, ministering to us. Perhaps you will have an opportunity to minister to those within your realm of influence. The Palau team shares Jesus’ love worldwide, dispelling fear and darkness.
Thank you for praying with us for Luis, Andrew and our entire Palau team as they fearlessly spread the hope and love of God’s Good News, especially during these uncertain times.
Please open the reports below and pray for Jesus to remove all fear by His love.
Without Fear in Jesus Name,
Gail Stockamp
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, presents your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).
PRAYER REPORTS
Please enjoy opening the regional updates below and keeping them in your prayers:
Africa | Plans for festivals in Malawi and Kenya | Report
Asia | Pray for continued blessing over future events | Report
North America | Praise for outreaches throughout the nation | Report
Europe | A new spirit of enthusiasm for the Gospel in Europe | Report
Latin America | Pastors Conference in Argentina | Report
Caribbean | Pray for open doors | Report
SHARE
Please forward this report with your praying friends and invite them to join us. They can sign up at www.nationalprayerteam.org to receive future emails and prayer requests. If it helps, print out the requests and keep them in a spot where you’ll remember to pray. (It helps me!)
“. . . And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, ‘Get up, and do not be afraid’” (Matthew 17:6-7).