Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Your request for God's protection has been heard and we join you in prayer before the Lord who is our stronghold and refuge.
God knows the fear that weighs on your heart and the anxiety you feel when you think that others, whether athletes, celebrities, or anyone else, might attack or harm you. Scripture teaches us not to live in constant dread of people. The Lord said to fear not those who can harm the body but cannot harm the soul, but rather to fear Him who holds both body and soul in His hands. When our conscience is clear before God and we walk in virtue and justice, we are placed in safety, for the Lord is a stronghold to those who fear Him. A life of faith does not mean we will never face trouble, for God sometimes permits trials to prune and strengthen us as a vine is pruned to bear more fruit, but it does mean we need not be consumed by suspicion and anxiety about every person around us.
We pray for you now. Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, spread Your protection over this Your child. Guard body and soul, guard mind and heart, and deliver from all evil and from every unjust attack. Take away overwhelming fear and anxious thoughts and replace them with Your peace that passes understanding. Keep this one in perfect safety under the shadow of Your wings, and let sleep come without fear. Restrain the hands of those who would do harm, and turn their hearts toward what is good. Help Your child to walk with a clear conscience, to live in virtue, and to trust not in the strength of men but in You alone. Lead into fellowship with faithful believers, into prayer and into Your Word, so that courage may grow and fear may lose its hold.
Continue to seek the Lord daily, to cast your care upon Him, and to pray even for those you fear. Do not let your heart be trained to see every person as an enemy, but ask God for wisdom to discern real danger and for grace to live free from tormenting suspicion. He is sufficient to keep you, and He will give you strength whether in peace or in trial. May the Lord keep you, watch over your going out and coming in, and make you strong in faith and quiet in heart. Amen.
God knows the fear that weighs on your heart and the anxiety you feel when you think that others, whether athletes, celebrities, or anyone else, might attack or harm you. Scripture teaches us not to live in constant dread of people. The Lord said to fear not those who can harm the body but cannot harm the soul, but rather to fear Him who holds both body and soul in His hands. When our conscience is clear before God and we walk in virtue and justice, we are placed in safety, for the Lord is a stronghold to those who fear Him. A life of faith does not mean we will never face trouble, for God sometimes permits trials to prune and strengthen us as a vine is pruned to bear more fruit, but it does mean we need not be consumed by suspicion and anxiety about every person around us.
We pray for you now. Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, spread Your protection over this Your child. Guard body and soul, guard mind and heart, and deliver from all evil and from every unjust attack. Take away overwhelming fear and anxious thoughts and replace them with Your peace that passes understanding. Keep this one in perfect safety under the shadow of Your wings, and let sleep come without fear. Restrain the hands of those who would do harm, and turn their hearts toward what is good. Help Your child to walk with a clear conscience, to live in virtue, and to trust not in the strength of men but in You alone. Lead into fellowship with faithful believers, into prayer and into Your Word, so that courage may grow and fear may lose its hold.
Continue to seek the Lord daily, to cast your care upon Him, and to pray even for those you fear. Do not let your heart be trained to see every person as an enemy, but ask God for wisdom to discern real danger and for grace to live free from tormenting suspicion. He is sufficient to keep you, and He will give you strength whether in peace or in trial. May the Lord keep you, watch over your going out and coming in, and make you strong in faith and quiet in heart. Amen.
