Warning! Fear-Mongers Ahead

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity [fear], but of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7

About this you can be certain—these are uncertain times. Whether we’re talking about politics, economics, morality or the seeming endless media accounts of violence today, it can feel like fear-mongering is everywhere. We know that fear is a powerful tool in Satan’s hands that can paralyze us from taking action or manipulate us into wrong actions.

Perhaps similar to the construction signs we see warning of roadwork ahead, we need some caution signs posted on our TV’s, tablets, computers, and across the front pages of our newspapers warning us that the fear-mongers are ahead.

How would Christ want us to respond to the fears lurking around us in times like these? How ought we to model to our grandchildren an appropriate response to fear? How do we control fear rather than let fear control us?

A few year’s ago I read a blog about turning fear into a time of prayer. It was a call for Christians to think differently by praying specifically about others in times of fear. For example, if someone has lost a job, why not pray for the jobless in parts of the world like Haiti, Zimbabwe, or Greece where high unemployment is the norm? If someone is ill, instead of focusing on our situation, pray for the children of India or Ghana suffering from Malaria, or the millions of children orphaned in Nigeria and South Africa because of AIDS. Praying for others has a way of putting things in perspective so that the truth is plain.

As grandparents, it is easy to become fearful or even angry when we see the news reports every day. It’s time to gain a more biblical perspective, especially if we are to be of any help to our grandchildren who must navigate these uncertain times. First of all, realize that what the media is going to focus on are the negative things going on in the world. That’s what produces viewership and readership. You will not hear or see much about all the amazing and miraculous things God is doing around the world among those who live with fear and suffering on a daily basis.

Secondly, understand that fear and apathy are deadly twin sisters bent on keeping us from making wise decisions and taking appropriate action. That is not biblical Christianity. We serve a sovereign God who knows all things and is able to make our joy complete even in the darkest of times. Through prayer we are able to enter the presence of God with confidence and hope. There we find strength and wisdom to keep what is true, noble, excellent, and praiseworthy in focus.

On Sunday, September 13^th of this year, we will celebrate our fourth annual Grandparents’ Day of Prayer. Grandparents around the world will be gathering to pray for their children and grandchildren in these uncertain times. It is a time to refocus our hearts and minds on the truth of God’s grace and goodness in both the good and the bad times.

I urge you to go to your pastor or appropriate ministry leader and ask them to let your congregation know about the Grandparent’s Day of Prayer. Get involved and invite grandparents from your church and community to join this movement of courageous grandparents who will be on their knees before God pleading for His little ones—our grandchildren.

Visit our web site (www.grandparentsdayofprayer.com) for more information about how to organize a prayer group in your church. Tell others about this important event and ask them to do the same. Join us on September 13, 2015 to pray… for the sake of the next generations!

GRANDPAUSE: The reason some succeed in battle is because they gain the victory on their knees before the fight begins. 
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