Prayer, the Antidote to Fear

by Richard Hostetter

I define fear as an assessment of our utter dependence on something outside of ourselves, which we cannot control and which threatens us. For me, it hits in the early morning when my defenses are low, or disengaged, or based upon some bad or potentially bad news. The antidote is prayer to our God and Father who controls every atom in the universe and knows our fears. He might not relieve the circumstances every time but He will relieve the fear when we seek him with all of our heart. My habit is first to praise Him for his mercy and to submit utterly to whatever His will may be. Then I cry out to Him to relieve me of the fear. Sometimes the relief is instant; sometimes He works relief in me by adjusting my thinking. Either way, HE IS FAITHFUL and will deliver us from all our fears.

For prayer today:

Our growing youth ministry needs a new venue for Sunday nights! Mark’s efforts have been stymied so far, and he needs a breakthrough. Pray for a great place to meet!
Thank God for the growing number of people in their 20s who have found a home at LBC. That said, we are in the early stages and we’d love to do a better job reaching and retaining people in this age bracket. Pray that God would turn these dreams into reality!