A Prayer for Fearlessness

Thoughts, Prayers and Poems...

Hi, my name is Chrystal Charles, and I am a Voice of Turks and Caicos.

This, being the first of multiple series, is a body of expression that has been

accumulated over many years that I’ve decided to share.

This series will be called, Thoughts, Prayers and Poems.

Here’s a Prayer of mine….

A Prayer for Fearlessness

God…

Heavenly Father

You who formed me,

You who breathed courage into my bones

If You have not given us a spirit of fear,

Why do we tremble before men?

We are already small in number,

Yet even smaller still in boldness.

The people carry Your torch.

We gather in Your temples,

We speak Your name,

We hold the ears of the people

The children, the layman, the congregation

Yet our actions whisper

What our lips shout against.

Lord…

we are a frightened people.

Afraid of integrity,

For it provokes the proud and powerful.

Afraid of truth,

For it unsettles the comfortable

and the capitalist.

Afraid of standing firm,

For it invites resistance.

We fear men

Who can only affect now,

Yet ignore Your Word

the One who controls eternity.

We watch the sheep wander,

Led by foxes dressed as shepherds,

And still…

we say nothing.

Frightened.

Afraid of voices.

Afraid of opinions.

Afraid of rejection.

Afraid of what they will say

About our lives,

In our land,

Under Your sky.

Jesus -

what has happened to us?

We were born with fire,

Yet society douses it with conformity

from our first breath.

Still…

there is a smolder within us

Low. Quiet. Hidden.

Buried beneath comfort,

Consumption,

Colonization of the spirit and the mind,

And the illusion of success.

Daily, we trade flame for ease.

We bury purpose beneath convenience.

We crown distraction as king.

And we breathe shallow air

gasping for depth,

for meaning in our lungs

Fed by empty things

That feel like everything and nothing at all

On a dying earth,

Among a dying people.

Father, I pray for fearlessness,

For I swim in a sea of fear daily.

Each day,

fighting not to drown

In the noise,

The hypocrisy,

The suffocating fog of compromise.

Lord - keep me fearless.

And bold.

Not loud without substance,

But bold with truth.

Not reckless,

But unwavering.

Not proud,

But unshaken.

Make the smolder within us

become a flame

that ignites us all.

But God? if ever all is lost here,

If the fire around me fades?

Lead me

Lead me to where the ground is alive,

Where truth burns hot,

Where courage is not rare.

Let me never cease

never settle

For cold walls, of celebration halls of empty victories,

For houses that feel nothing like home.

Let my life be full

Not of wealth alone,

But of purpose.

God,

strip fear from my spirit

and from the spirit of my people.

Break agreement with timidity.

Silence the voice that bows to man.

And raise in us

a courage

that answers only to You.

As Your Word says;

Deuteronomy 31:6 : "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

Psalm 23:4 : "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

Isaiah 41:10 : "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Joshua 1:9 : "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

2 Timothy 1:7 : "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Psalm 56:4 : "In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me."

Psalm 27:1 : "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 34:4 : "I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all

my fears."

1 John 4:18 : "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."

Proverbs 3:25 : "Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh."

John 14:27 : "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the

world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

My name is Chrystal Charles, and I am a voice of Turks and Caicos. Go to tesspresents.com to hear the narration. For advertising and orator contributions, email tesscharlestci@gmail.com.