“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment” (2 Timothy 1:7).The Bible makes mention of fear many times throughout Scripture. We read about this concept in both the Old and New Testaments. With every reference and example, we can easily conclude that fear is natural to the human condition. We fear war, arguments, crime, and relevant today, sickness. While fear can serve to keep us alive, we aren’t called to live on the edge. We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow, but every day is not a fight for survival. Thinking about our mortality is important and good. Obsessing is not. There is only one fear we’re supposed to maintain daily – a fear of the Lord.
Are there any other fears in life that we should allow to govern us? No, and that includes COVID-19.
One day recently, I walked into the local library and saw a familiar face. We spoke and exchanged pleasantries. She asked me if my new year got off to a good start. I answered, “Yeah,” with a big smile. Then I asked if she had any big plans for the new year. She replied, “No. I’m too afraid.” Unsure of what to say, I stared back, quietly confused. Then she said bye and we parted ways.
She’s not alone. There are adults and children who are afraid to reclaim what was once normal. For them, fear is the norm.
How do we respond to people in such situations? What do we do for those stuck in a bubble of fear and uninterested in being taken out? Is there an appropriate response when people act irrationally?
While God has given us a life to live, some people are too afraid to do just that – live.
We can only wonder whether people are waiting for the government, the CDC, or social media to give them permission to live again. And while we wonder, there is no clear answer.
As of January 12, 2022, 864,193 people have died in America, while 42,642,857 people have survived. And according to CDC Director Walensky, 75% of the deaths were in people with at least four comorbidities. In light of this, there are still so many, even Christians, living with immense fear of COVID. How long until we decide to live again?
There’s reassurance to find, not in people, or even ourselves, but in Christ. With a strong foundation of faith we can lay our fears to rest. Finding God’s perfect peace is what allows us to live.
Jonah once aptly said, “When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple” (Jonah 2:7). Let’s remember the Lord today. Whether on behalf of ourselves or others, when we can’t talk or reason, we can always turn to prayer. Here are 5 prayers to end our lingering fear of COVID:
Prayer for Fearful Children
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
Heavenly Father,
I want to pray for children all across our nation. The next generation is growing up, but unlike us they didn’t attend prom, they sat in classrooms distanced from peers. Some were forced to eat lunch outside by themselves. Others started at new schools, but attended online. All of them have experienced a very long season of uncertainty, and sadly, some are still suffering.
For many children, a fear of the unknown and illness lingers on. I ask you, Lord, to assuage these fears. Bring comfort to those troubled with anxieties and social insecurities. Please help these boys and girls to once again feel comfortable interacting with friends and peers.
Open their eyes to seeing the truth, life is short and a life lived fully is not limited by fear. For those living with parents or caretakers who are unaware or too fearful to understand, help them to acknowledge that children are the least likely to get seriously ill or die from COVID.
And with this acknowledgement, guide both parent and child toward a future that is likely not free of COVID, but will be free of fear.
Amen.
Prayer for Fearful Parents
“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4)
God,
Parents are tasked with the essential and godly duty of raising a child and teaching them to walk in your ways. While the village also teaches, no one carries that duty more than parents. In the wake of the COVID pandemic, many parents found themselves faced with a new threat, one that could affect their children.
Two years later, many parents still have this concern. While certain parents remain fearful for their children, others are just trying to protect themselves.
No one faults a parent for trying to do their best on behalf of their children, but I pray that those who have lost sight of turning to you for guidance would regain their bearings. Our assurance as Christians is that there is more to this life than the time we spend on earth, and we should teach our children this. God, please aid parents in seeing the consequences of giving into fear for themselves and their children. A life lived around fear is not a life revolving around you.
Show them that you care about their concerns, and whatever burdens they carry, they can come to you.
Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/gpointstudio
Prayer for Fearful Grandparents
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
Lord in Heaven,
The last couple of years have been hard on a number of people, and no one has been more affected than the elderly. They’ve had to come to terms with a new and lethal virus, which meant spending a lot of time isolated from others, their children, grandchildren, friends.
Many have not received visits in so long for fear of making them sick. Those that did were kept at a distance. Needless to say, they haven’t felt normal in a very long time and have had plenty of reason to fear.
So, I want to pray for them, asking you to relinquish grandparents from any lingering fear of COVID. Please grant them wisdom for how to best keep themselves safe, but I also pray that you would grant them wisdom for how to make the most out of their remaining lives.
Remind them that dangers have always existed in the world, some lighter than COVID, others worse, but they lived. Help them to live again.
I pray that they would not fear death, but recall that Jesus overcame death for our sake and theirs.
Amen.
Prayer for a Fearful Partner
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4)
Father,
I come before you now with a prayer for my relationship. The past couple of years have been a true testament to our struggle. We’ve had our ups and downs since the pandemic, in part because of our different responses to what’s happened. I don’t feel the need to fear, but they do. I’ve tried to reason, but their fear of this world gets the better of them. Lord, their life and mine are in your hands. You are mighty and wise. There is nothing in our lives that you cannot handle, including fear. Help them to hear your voice over the world’s.
I ask that you would remedy this fear. Answer their what ifs with God wills. Where my words have not been able to penetrate, I pray that your Word would. Give them comfort, assuage their fears, and help them to find safety, not in the worldly sense, but in you.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
A Prayer for My Own Fear
“The fear of mankind is a snare, but the one who trusts in the Lord is protected.” (Proverbs 29:25)
God,
I come before you now, afraid of what’s happening in the world and what could happen to me. COVID-19 has caused a panic in my country and the entire world. COVID-19 has caused a panic within me. People have died, some sent to the hospital, and I don’t want that for me or my loved ones.
Sometimes the chaos proves to be too much for me, and fear is all I know.
But this fear is not allowing me to live life as you prescribe. I’m not loving my neighbors, I avoid them. I’m not seeking people to serve, I’m wondering who’s sick. Please forgive me for the fears.
I want to turn them over to you, to leave them at your throne. Nothing will befall me that you have not approved. And anything that comes my way we can be handled by putting my faith and trust in you alone. Please help me to remember this.
I humbly pray this to you now. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Olezzo
Aaron D'Anthony Brown is a freelance writer, hip-hop dance teacher, and visual artist, living in Virginia. He currently contributes to Salem Web Network’s Crosswalk platform and supports various clients through the freelancing website Upwork. He's an outside-the-box thinker with a penchant for challenging the status quo.
Get in touch with him at aarondanthony.com and check out his debut short story anthology Honey Dreams on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.