Being Courageous
As part of my church’s prayer week, I agreed to lead a prayer walk in the local community where we might proclaim our faith and pray for strangers. I did not feel comfortable leading, as approaching strangers takes a lot of courage, but I agreed none the less. Before leaving home, I had talked myself into an anxious state, and on arrival, I had a stream of negative thoughts and dialogue running through my mind:
“You can’t do this”,
“Passers-by will think you are weird.”
“You have no skills to do this.”
“No one will speak to a random Christian on the street. You are going to fail.”
God must be so frustrated with me and tired of listening to this ridiculous monologue. He doesn’t say we must muster courage and strength on our own but to lean into Him and the peace He provides. Even Paul asks for prayer that God would give him the courage to speak (Eph 6:19).
So after a short sharp word with myself and a prayer for God to remove my fear, I found that God gave me opportunities to happily and calmly approach several people for prayer, and I even got to pray for a guy for healing. I was full of the Holy Spirit, strong and fearless, and the prayer walk was a great success.
Life is full of challenges, sorrows, and tough decisions. But even amidst hardship, The Lord counsels us to be strong and courageous.
I pray that this verse will comfort all of us as we seek to live a good life and overcome our unique challenges.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
Let us pray
- The Lord will give us the courage to let go of fear and face our challenges.
- That we may trust that God is our true source of strength.
- That we may turn to God for guidance, and
- Know that He will be with us. Amen
Written by Kirsten Davidson, Fundraiser for Swindon Youth for Christ