When Dorelle, my wife, went to town early on a freezing morning, her heart was touched by homeless people sleeping on the porch of an unused shop. We both sensed we should provide a little comfort for them, so we bought some jerseys and sealable containers in preparation for giving them a little warmth and some nourishing soup.

Then we went next door to ask the shopkeeper if she knew how many slept there.

Her eyes widened and she exclaimed, “Don’t have anything to do with them, especially at night. They’ll attack you and rob you.”

We were in a quandary and thought perhaps we should forget about the soup and give the jerseys to a charity to be distributed. Then we realised what was happening. The enemy was using his usual tactic of instilling fear to prevent us from doing what God was prompting. That evening we took the jerseys and soup there. We were greeted enthusiastically and gratefully by six of the poorest of the poor. When I said, “We’d like to say a prayer with you,” they all knelt before us with heads bowed. It was a holy moment.

There is often an element of fear when the Lord prompts us to do something. We need to remember where this comes from. The Lord does not give us a spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind.

When I prayed with my patients, as I describe in my books, God inthe ICU and Prayer, Medicine and Miracles, it wasn’t always easy. I remember a pre-op visit to a macho man who had Men’s Health and Car magazines beside his bed. How was he going to take my suggestion that I pray with him before his operation? I steeled myself and offered to pray. He answered in grunts and monosyllables and I left wondering what he thought.

The day after his operation I visited him and what a change there was. He was effusive in his thanks. “Dr. Walker, you’ve no idea what that prayer did for me. I was terrified when you came to examine me, but a deep peace settled on me as you prayed and I went into theatre completely calm.”

God might warn us of a dangerous situation and of course, we must be careful and wise, but understand, when the main factor stopping what you sense God is prompting you to do is fear, that is Satan applying his favourite tactic. When you recognise where it is coming from, then you can call on God for His strength and protection and overcome.