Displacing Fear - Fear 3, episode 148

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,080
If you love a prodigal, you can discover health and hope for your wilderness journey right

2
00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:14,080
here at the When You Love a Prodigal podcast, and also help and hope for your own life journey.

3
00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:19,440
This is the third of three podcasts leading up to the June 2nd Worldwide Prodigal Prayer

4
00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:20,440
Day.

5
00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:28,680
Our theme this year is Fear Not, and these episodes are designed to prepare us as we

6
00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:35,360
engage in battle for the hearts and minds of loved ones who are prodigal in one of many

7
00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:39,920
different ways, or more than one.

8
00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:47,600
And if you have any fears of any kind, you can learn from this as well, I think.

9
00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:51,680
I remember one time when the fear came back.

10
00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:58,640
My son had been doing well, and an unexpected and scary decision he made caught me by surprise.

11
00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:03,280
I always hate it when fear comes back.

12
00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:10,480
I thought I was over that fear, or maybe I just thought the cause of that fear was over,

13
00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,480
that he wouldn't be doing it anymore.

14
00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:20,400
But sometime ago, in the midst of some hopeful signs in our long ongoing situation, that

15
00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:29,520
fear returned with force irrationally, because when I hoped, when things looked like they

16
00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:37,040
were changing for the better, but then maybe they weren't, I became afraid to hope.

17
00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:43,400
I remember the past, and it was painful or disappointing and filled with despair and

18
00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,400
fear.

19
00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:53,080
What if once more, the hope is not fulfilled if the undesirable wins out again?

20
00:01:53,080 --> 00:02:00,480
About the same time I participated in a wonderful 12-hour personal guided retreat led by my

21
00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,800
friend Carla Waterman.

22
00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:11,040
The theme was, Encircle Me, O God, Keep Love Within, Keep Fear Without.

23
00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:14,280
It's exactly what I needed.

24
00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:21,760
The 12 of us participating had a sweet time together, praying and singing.

25
00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:29,160
My Anglican heritage loved the liturgy, the structure, the music, the word.

26
00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:33,960
But I also loved the hours for personal reflection.

27
00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:41,920
God knew the fear that gripped me, my heart, and had prepared just the antidote I needed.

28
00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:47,720
These words, which I'm going to share with you, sung and prayed and reflected on, set

29
00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:49,640
me free.

30
00:02:49,640 --> 00:02:56,800
In the morning we had morning prayer, and part of that included this prayer.

31
00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:00,280
Sounds like an Irish prayer.

32
00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:10,560
God's ear to hear me, God's hand to guide me, God's might uphold me, God's shield to

33
00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:21,040
hide me, against all powers deceiving, against my own unbelieving, whether near or far.

34
00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:22,680
Wow!

35
00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:29,280
I really resonated with that and was leaning into those requests that God would hear and

36
00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:38,640
guide and uphold me and shield me, hide me, and that he would come against my own fear,

37
00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:41,560
my own unbelieving.

38
00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,080
Midday prayer was very simple.

39
00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:51,640
I said, encircle me, O God, keep faith within, keep pride without.

40
00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:58,560
Encircle me, O God, keep hope within, keep despair without.

41
00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:06,000
Encircle me, O God, keep love within, keep fear without.

42
00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,880
Those prayers reflected my own feelings.

43
00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:15,520
It was very special, and God was just meeting me in a wonderful way.

44
00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:22,880
Then that night we had complying, or a night prayer, says, By day the Lord directs his

45
00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:30,200
love at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

46
00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:38,760
And by this time my heart and mine were fully there, and God was doing a very special work

47
00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:47,080
in me, believing and trusting and choosing love over fear.

48
00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:50,880
There was an exercise we had as well.

49
00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:55,440
Said calm me, O Lord, as you stilled the storm.

50
00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,800
Still me, O Lord, keep me from harm.

51
00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:05,960
Let all the tumult within me cease, and fold me, Lord, in your peace.

52
00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:15,600
And I repeated, encircle me, O God, keep love within, keep fear without.

53
00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:16,800
Now there was a lot more.

54
00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:18,160
We had 12 hours.

55
00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:19,520
We were together.

56
00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:25,040
But these prayers reminded me of the sweet secret.

57
00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:26,040
Secret?

58
00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:27,040
Yes.

59
00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:28,880
The secret.

60
00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:30,880
The secret is displacement.

61
00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:35,320
I thought, I've heard that before.

62
00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:40,840
Which reminded me of a message that my wonderful husband, Steve, gave often.

63
00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:44,440
It was called, Worry and a Walk with God Don't Mix.

64
00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,600
The secret was displacement.

65
00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,360
I went, really?

66
00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:50,360
Displacement?

67
00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:56,160
And my husband had several illustrations, some of them from the Kim Lab, but this one

68
00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,920
is the easiest to retell.

69
00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:05,640
He said, two cars can't occupy the same space on the road at the same time.

70
00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,040
One displaces the other.

71
00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:11,240
Maybe you've experienced that.

72
00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:13,200
I have.

73
00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:14,840
Accidents do that.

74
00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:17,240
You just don't have room for both.

75
00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:23,560
And so instead of remembering the pain of the past, God is showing me I can remember the

76
00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:31,560
love poured over me lavishly, repeatedly, extravagantly by my Father in heaven, by the

77
00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:36,640
Son who died for me, by the Spirit who lives in me.

78
00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:43,120
And then I can keep love within, which will displace the fear and push it out.

79
00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,800
I promise it can work.

80
00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:50,440
So how do I focus on that love from God?

81
00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:55,760
The Word of God is so full of assurances of God's love.

82
00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:59,080
And just a few here from Psalm 136.

83
00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:04,280
We could go to a hundred places, but listen to this.

84
00:07:04,280 --> 00:07:06,680
Give thanks to the God of heaven.

85
00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,640
His love endures forever.

86
00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:15,880
To Him alone who does great wonders, His love endures forever.

87
00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:19,520
Who by His understanding made the heavens.

88
00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:21,840
His love endures forever.

89
00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:25,760
Who spread out the earth upon the waters.

90
00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,160
His love endures forever.

91
00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,280
Who made the great lights.

92
00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:32,280
His love endures forever.

93
00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:34,520
The sun to govern the day.

94
00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:36,720
His love endures forever.

95
00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:40,040
The moon and the stars to govern the night.

96
00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:44,960
His love endures forever.

97
00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:53,720
Just in case you needed a reminder of how much God loves you and your prodigal and how

98
00:07:53,720 --> 00:08:03,040
vast is His love and how great is His power that is love working out on our behalf.

99
00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:10,440
So you might want to take a few or many minutes to name, maybe even write down, some of the

100
00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:16,560
many ways that God has demonstrated His love for you.

101
00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:21,600
I'd really encourage you to do that, but let me go on and finish here.

102
00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:29,280
So really, it is displacement that's going to keep loving our hearts instead of fear.

103
00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:31,000
Same with our minds.

104
00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:38,280
If I keep love within, I will keep fear without, which is exactly what the apostle John told

105
00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:39,380
us.

106
00:08:39,380 --> 00:08:45,920
Fear is no fear in love because perfect love drives out fear.

107
00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:55,240
And God not only has, gives, but is perfect love made manifest in Jesus.

108
00:08:55,240 --> 00:09:00,000
So I would just encourage you.

109
00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:08,320
Let the love of God displace the fear that you face for your loved one and yourself.

110
00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:16,160
Take time to let His love flow over you, fill your mind and banish the fear.

111
00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,320
Displace the fear.

112
00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:25,840
It is almost June 2nd in a few days on Sunday, the Worldwide Prodigal Prayer Day people

113
00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:30,440
around the globe and where you live will join together.

114
00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:39,320
Come in small groups or with neighbors or at church on Zoom or FaceTime or by yourself

115
00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:49,200
to beseech our God of love to rescue, restore, set free, welcome home our prodigals, whom

116
00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:58,280
we love and desire to see the good the Creator of the universe wants to do in and for them.

117
00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:00,960
It's not too late to give us names.

118
00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:03,720
Again, we just deal with first names.

119
00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:05,600
God knows who they are.

120
00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:11,800
To go on this list and people all over the world will pray for them.

121
00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:19,240
Just write us at prayerforprodigals at gmail.com or visit prayer for prodigals at Facebook and

122
00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:23,040
tell us who you'd like us to pray for.

123
00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:30,240
And I will be giving you in the show notes some instructions on how you can be a part

124
00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:32,320
of it.

125
00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:39,880
And I will also give you some more songs, more music to still the fear and allow love

126
00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:42,520
to displace it.

127
00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:48,520
And we would love to pray for your love.

128
00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:55,200
God bless you.