The Number One Way to Find Peace When You Panic
Are You Ready to Leave Your Fears Behind?
Those of us who have health issues have had a rough year. An already complicated medical history can make you high risk for COVID complications. Have you felt isolated or misunderstood by those who do not understand your fear? A panic response can happen when faced with the threat of more medical trauma. Do you fear contracting COVID? Are you isolated because of your fears? I understand the balancing act between cautious wisdom and panicked fear. I wrote the following article when COVID started, but the truths are applicable for anyone who has allowed fear to lock the door to peace.
“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’” (John 20:19).
After Jesus’ death, his disciples were taking shelter together in a locked home. Fearing for their lives, they were hiding from those who had just helped to execute Jesus. I cannot imagine the distress they faced, but since I am high-risk for COVID, I have also been locked inside my home for much of this past year. Like the disciples, I also fear potential harm from the outside world. But I have been at home with my fears for far too long. Have you been living in fear lately? I have deep compassion for you, friend. You are the reason I am writing today.
Have you ever noticed that fear often travels hand-in-hand with other emotions? Jesus’ followers were afraid, but they were also grieving the violent death of their friend and Savior. Their dreams had been shattered. They left everything to follow Jesus, but now their work as his disciples seemed to be finished. And to top it off, they were afraid that they could face the same death Jesus suffered if they ventured outdoors.
Are you, like the disciples, grieving the death of a loved one? Have you also lost your job or the dreams you had for your future? Read on to learn what Jesus gave his frightened and worried followers. If you are his follower, he gives the same thing to you today.
A Door That Fear Had Locked Could Not Keep Jesus Out!
In Jesus’ first appearance to the disciples after his resurrection, a door that fear had locked could not keep him out. Jesus came and stood among them. He had compassion for their suffering, as evidenced by his first words, “Peace be with you!” After he showed them his hands and side, he repeated, “Peace be with you!” (John 20:20,21) Peace. The word, in Greek, is eiréné, and it implies complete wholeness, tranquility, and rest. Jesus gave them precisely what they needed.
Their difficult circumstances had not changed, but Jesus in their midst meant that everything had changed. His presence and peace unlocked their courage and restored their faith. Do you need courage and confident faith right now? Jesus' presence will always bring peace. Welcome Jesus into your heart and accept the peace he gives to all who believe in him. How can you embrace more of his peace? Pray this prayer:
A Prayer for Peace: Dear Jesus, I need your peace. I believe that you died for my sins and that God raised you from the dead. Thank you for giving me peace with God and life through your Name. Forgive me for allowing the cares of this world to obscure my spiritual vision. I confess that I have not been trusting your plan for my life and the lives of my loved ones. You have given me peace that brings restoration, wholeness, and rest to my soul. I have allowed the trials of this life to lock me into a spirit of fear. It has robbed me of the peace that is mine in Christ. Forgive me, Lord. Right now, I confess my fears and my worries to you. (Tell the Lord what has been weighing heavily on your heart.) I declare that you did not give me a spirit of fear or cowardice! You gave me a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. Rejoicing and delighting in you is a safeguard for my spirit. Please help me to safeguard my spirit through thanksgiving so that I will be filled with your peace. (Thank God and allow thanksgiving to give way to rejoicing and praise.) Thank you, Lord, that I can come to you with prayers and thanksgiving; in return, you provide me with peace that is supreme over my worries. I ask for that peace to fill me now; let it watch over and protect my heart. Let your peace have authority in my heart because that is your calling for me. Give me the courage to tell others about you so that they may also have peace with God and peace from God. In Jesus’ Precious Name. Amen.
This article first appeared on Crosswalk as A Prayer for the Peace of Christ.
Scriptures for Further Study: Philippians 3:1,
2 Timothy 1:7, Colossians 3:15,
Philippians 4:6-7, John 14:27
For reflection: What do you think this verse means? “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). How can you apply it to your life today?
I’d love to read your comments!
