No More Fear

A few years ago I was in a workshop on prayer led by the late William Vaswig. He shared that his life was changed when his son was severely depressed and there seemed to be no one who could help him. At the time Vaswig was a pastor, but none of his counseling worked and neither did anything the psychologists suggested.

He called Agnes Sanford, who had authored books on prayer and spiritual health. He took a chance she might see him and she did. When he and his son arrived at her doorstep she told him, “You pastors know all about prayer except how to make it work.”

She met in private with the son and then told Vaswig she would need to see him for two or three more sessions. She then hugged Vaswig and prayed, “God, your servant is carrying this burden. It is not his fault.” Vaswig shared he wept from the deepest recesses of his heart. He wept for his son in pain, he wept for his own fears, and he wept as he released the pain he was carrying inside over not being able to help his son.

Vaswig shared that a few days later his son was healthy and at peace. He was completely changed spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically. The psychiatrists who had worked with him were stunned. They asked if Vaswig would set up a meeting with Ms. Sanford to explain how she helped their patient when they seemed powerless to bring about any change.

Sanford agreed to sit down with them as they anxiously wanted to know why she was able to accomplish in a matter of days what they couldn’t in a matter of months.
She told the psychiatrists that the patient had taken a lot of fear into his life after witnessing terrifying events happening in the world and also in his own life.

As many others have noted as well, she insisted that love and fear can’t co-exist in the same place, and neither can gratitude and fear. Scripture states that God is not the author of fear. The Apostle John wrote, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). She then explained she prayed for the patient to have a deep sense of God’s love, knowing that once that love was felt, fear would automatically vanish.

What holds people back? Fear of the unknown, fear of acceptance, fear of failure, fear in a myriad of forms. What drives out the darkness of fear? Resting in the love of God, giving thanks for the gifts in your life, and trusting that His promises really are true.