Displacing Fear - Fear 3, episode 148

0:00 If you love a prodigal, you can discover health and hope for your wilderness journey right here at the When You Love a Prodigal podcast, and also help and hope for your own life journey. This is the third of three podcasts leading up to the June 2nd Worldwide Prodigal Prayer Day. Our theme this year is Fear Not, and these episodes are designed to prepare us as we engage in battle for the hearts and minds of loved ones who are prodigal in one of many different ways, or more than one. And if you have any fears of any kind, you can learn from this as well, I think.

0:47 I remember one time when the fear came back. My son had been doing well, and an unexpected and scary decision he made caught me by surprise. I always hate it when fear comes back. I thought I was over that fear, or maybe I just thought the cause of that fear was over, that he wouldn't be doing it anymore. But sometime ago, in the midst of some hopeful signs in our long ongoing situation, that fear returned with force irrationally, because when I hoped, when things looked like they were changing for the better, but then maybe they weren't, I became afraid to hope.

1:37 I remember the past, and it was painful or disappointing and filled with despair and fear. What if once more, the hope is not fulfilled if the undesirable wins out again? About the same time I participated in a wonderful 12-hour personal guided retreat led by my friend Carla Waterman. The theme was, Encircle Me, O God, Keep Love Within, Keep Fear Without. It's exactly what I needed. The 12 of us participating had a sweet time together, praying and singing.

2:21 My Anglican heritage loved the liturgy, the structure, the music, the word. But I also loved the hours for personal reflection. God knew the fear that gripped me, my heart, and had prepared just the antidote I needed. These words, which I'm going to share with you, sung and prayed and reflected on, set me free. In the morning we had morning prayer, and part of that included this prayer. Sounds like an Irish prayer. God's ear to hear me, God's hand to guide me, God's might uphold me, God's shield to hide me, against all powers deceiving, against my own unbelieving, whether near or far.

3:21 Wow! I really resonated with that and was leaning into those requests that God would hear and guide and uphold me and shield me, hide me, and that he would come against my own fear, my own unbelieving. Midday prayer was very simple. I said, encircle me, O God, keep faith within, keep pride without. Encircle me, O God, keep hope within, keep despair without. Encircle me, O God, keep love within, keep fear without.

4:06 Those prayers reflected my own feelings. It was very special, and God was just meeting me in a wonderful way. Then that night we had complying, or a night prayer, says, By day the Lord directs his love at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. And by this time my heart and mine were fully there, and God was doing a very special work in me, believing and trusting and choosing love over fear.

4:47 There was an exercise we had as well. Said calm me, O Lord, as you stilled the storm. Still me, O Lord, keep me from harm. Let all the tumult within me cease, and fold me, Lord, in your peace. And I repeated, encircle me, O God, keep love within, keep fear without. Now there was a lot more. We had 12 hours. We were together. But these prayers reminded me of the sweet secret. Secret? Yes. The secret.

5:28 The secret is displacement. I thought, I've heard that before. Which reminded me of a message that my wonderful husband, Steve, gave often. It was called, Worry and a Walk with God Don't Mix. The secret was displacement. I went, really? Displacement? And my husband had several illustrations, some of them from the Kim Lab, but this one is the easiest to retell. He said, two cars can't occupy the same space on the road at the same time. One displaces the other.

6:09 Maybe you've experienced that. I have. Accidents do that. You just don't have room for both. And so instead of remembering the pain of the past, God is showing me I can remember the love poured over me lavishly, repeatedly, extravagantly by my Father in heaven, by the Son who died for me, by the Spirit who lives in me. And then I can keep love within, which will displace the fear and push it out. I promise it can work. So how do I focus on that love from God?

6:50 The Word of God is so full of assurances of God's love. And just a few here from Psalm 136. We could go to a hundred places, but listen to this. Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever. To Him alone who does great wonders, His love endures forever. Who by His understanding made the heavens. His love endures forever. Who spread out the earth upon the waters. His love endures forever. Who made the great lights. His love endures forever.

7:32 The sun to govern the day. His love endures forever. The moon and the stars to govern the night. His love endures forever. Just in case you needed a reminder of how much God loves you and your prodigal and how vast is His love and how great is His power that is love working out on our behalf. So you might want to take a few or many minutes to name, maybe even write down, some of the many ways that God has demonstrated His love for you.

8:16 I'd really encourage you to do that, but let me go on and finish here. So really, it is displacement that's going to keep loving our hearts instead of fear. Same with our minds. If I keep love within, I will keep fear without, which is exactly what the apostle John told us. Fear is no fear in love because perfect love drives out fear. And God not only has, gives, but is perfect love made manifest in Jesus. So I would just encourage you.

9:00 Let the love of God displace the fear that you face for your loved one and yourself. Take time to let His love flow over you, fill your mind and banish the fear. Displace the fear. It is almost June 2nd in a few days on Sunday, the Worldwide Prodigal Prayer Day people around the globe and where you live will join together. Come in small groups or with neighbors or at church on Zoom or FaceTime or by yourself to beseech our God of love to rescue, restore, set free, welcome home our prodigals, whom we love and desire to see the good the Creator of the universe wants to do in and for them.

9:58 It's not too late to give us names. Again, we just deal with first names. God knows who they are. To go on this list and people all over the world will pray for them. Just write us at prayerforprodigals at gmail.com or visit prayer for prodigals at Facebook and tell us who you'd like us to pray for. And I will be giving you in the show notes some instructions on how you can be a part of it. And I will also give you some more songs, more music to still the fear and allow love to displace it.

10:42 And we would love to pray for your love. God bless you.