Sea of Galilee
Childbirth - Faith - Prayer

Prayer: the Antidote to Fear

There are times and circumstances that overwhelm with fear. Remember the Bible account of the sudden storm on the Sea of Galilee?

A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him saying, “Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”

Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath, the sea became as smooth as glass. Mark 4:37-39 MSG

When a woman is in labor and gets close to giving birth she may experience a rush of hormones that cause the strong contractions of transition. Some women feel completely out of control. The waves of contraction rush over her. This is the point at which women, whom I have attended in labor, ask for prayer. Sometimes it is a husband or a friend that prays. Sometimes I have prayed.

Throughout life we encounter situations where the stress of a situation may overwhelm us. God provides a place to bring our fears and concerns. We can pray. It is calming to pray with another believer. Jesus said: 

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them  by my father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them. Matthew 18: 19-20

When I meet with women for Bible study on Wednesday mornings we end our meetings with group prayer. Together we bring our concerns to the Lord. We are refreshed and ready to meet the challenges ahead.

Do you have a friend that you can pray with?

This post is shared with the Five Minute Friday writing community. The prompt today is: RUSH

Also linking with Inspire Me Monday, Heart Encouragement and Welcome Heart

Carol is a follower of Jesus and a wife, mom & grandma. She worked for many years as a childbirth nurse and prenatal educator. She recently retired from clinical work. She has written articles for nursing journals and devotionals. Her novel, Aliisa's Letter, was published in 2010 and she is currently working on another project.

13 Comments on “Prayer: the Antidote to Fear

  1. We meet weekly for a small group Bible study, and we pray both before and after. We also meet as a school staff M-Th and we pray together and share our prayer requests. I love being covered in prayer!

  2. Alone or in a group, prayer is a wonderful privilege, to be welcomed into the throne room of our Heavenly Father and invited to ask for His help.

  3. I’ve tried to pray with others,
    but they dislike to pray with me,
    for my acceptance smothers
    their calls for victory.
    Cancer really bums me out,
    but if it’s by God ordained,
    I’m not gonna scream and shout,
    and won’t even complain.
    My friends are mostly charismatic,
    with their roars and wails,
    and my stoic mien is problematic;
    takes the wind out of their sails.
    They really cannot stand at length
    hearing me ask just for strength.

  4. Oh yes! I think prayer is indeed the antidote to fear and a very effective one too. Thankfully, I have many friends to pray with. Such a blessing. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Blessings upon blessings!

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