By Hal Green
Pondering Prayer
Not only is there little knowledge of God in our land today; there is also much fear. And these two facts are deeply interconnected. The presence of fear indicates an absence of the knowledge of, and faith in, God. There was great fear during the time of the prophet Hosea in the eighth century BCE. What he declared about the northern kingdom of Israel rings true today: “There is no faithfulness or loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land. Swearing, lying, and murder, and stealing and adultery break out; bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and all who live in it languish” (Hosea 4:1b-4).
Just imagine the calming consequences which would come to us if we could only say, with comforted conviction, the following three verses. They are penetrating words of fear-damping faith; they attest to the courage faith bestows, as we risk leaning fully into trust:
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? . . . I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Ps 27:1, 13-14).
I well remember a dream I had back in my 20s, not long after the Holy Spirit first touched me, changing my life forever. It was the dream’s final moment which mattered. As I looked at a blank grey wall, a holy hand appeared and began to write a sentence on that wall, while at the same time a heavenly voice strongly intoned these words directly at me: “Do not fear another day in your life!” I awoke immediately, convinced that it was from God. I also realized how difficult it would be to successfully live out of that command. And it sure has been. Yet in perilous moments, I have silently heard these words readdressing me. They have not failed to calm me yet again.
This is a sentence all Christians should be enabled by the Holy Spirit live out of. On numerous occasions while conducting a funeral, I would sense unvoiced fear hovered amidst the gathered people. In calming response, I would voice these words of Jesus, among the most comforting ever spoken. Shortly before he would die for us, thinking of us, Jesus said:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also . . . Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (John 14:1-3, 27).
The “peace of Christ,” which we need in abundance today, is the faith knowledge that everything will be alright, eternally. As John Lennon reportedly said: “Everything will be alright in the end. If things are not alright, it is not yet the end.”
(Hal Green, Ph.D., is author of Pray This Way to Connect with God. You can contact him atdrhalgreen@gmail.com.)
