The Power of a Praying Wife – Chapter 8: His Fears

I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

I’m a worrier. I actually drive my husband to distraction with it. I don’t verbalize most of it, but he knows me, so he knows. When faced with situations, my mind goes through what the worse case scenario would be. I think it’s a manner of preparing me for whatever is, and if it’s not the worse case, then I can handle whatever it is.

I come by it honestly. My grandmother is a fantastic worrier. My mother might worry more than me. My sister could be my rival very easy. But the men in my life tend to not fall into that trap so much.

I remember asking my father one time what he was afraid of. His answer was, “Being afraid.”

After reading this chapter, I asked my husband what he was afraid of and he said, “Landing in airplanes. That’s why I jump out of them.”

But I also know that as strong as these men are, they have their own moments of fear. “What happens if?” “What if I can’t?” “What if I don’t?” “I am responsible for the livelihood of four other people. What if? What if? What if?”

I have spent a lot of time during my marriage alone. Unfortunately, I was afraid to be alone. I was afraid of the dark, afraid of unseen noises, afraid of the ringing of the doorbell or the knocking of the door, afraid to enter my house after dark, afraid to fall asleep…I was simply afraid. About two years into this terror, and during a desperate night of no sleep because my dog had barked at some noise, I did a Bible search on the word “fear” and came upon this verse:

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

From that point forward, whenever I felt afraid, I quoted that verse to myself. From that moment on, I wasn’t afraid anymore.

Read chapter 8 of The Power of a Praying Wife and consider the following discussion questions. Comments are turned off on this post, and the discussion has been created in Hallee’s Daily Brew by following this link:

1. Do you know what your husband’s fears are? Do you share any of the same fears?

2. Ask your husband if there are any fears he has for which he would like for you to pray about for him. Are there any that he mentioned which you did not put on your list above or that you were not aware of until now?

3. One thing about fear is that it is often contagious. When the spiritual leader of our home is facing fears, the entire household can falter. How have your husband’s fears affected you?

4. Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” In light of this Scripture, how could you pray for your husband so that he would be set free from fear?

5. Look up the Bible verses listed on page 89. What is the only kind of fear we’re supposed to have? When you have the fear of the Lrod, what does God promise to do?

6. Pray the prayer out loud on page 89-90 in the Power of a Praying Wife. Include specifics regarding your husband’s fears.