Are you plagued by fear and worry? Watch Dr. Peale's powerful tools on overcoming these twin obstacles with God's help. This is Part 1 of a 2 part series.
If you've never felt the power of listening to one of Norman Vincent Peale's sermons, this is a great place to start. Step outside of yourself, and realize you are in control of worry and what's keeping you up at night.
Here's the direct takeaway from this sermon:
I said you were talking about fear. And I was interested make because at that time I was plagued by fear. Every night when I went to bed, I take my worries along with me and I couldn't sleep. And they actually got to be terrifying. But in that sermon he said, you told about a friend of yours from Albany, who had a technique because he had the same disease. And that technique was to put a chair by his bed. Pull it up close to a bed and image Jesus as being in that chair. And he thought that he had a right to do that because Jesus had said, I will be with you always. That met in Albany, New York on any night he could be with this man. So I said I put the chair there by the bed. And when I get to worrying, I just say to Jesus, let me go to sleep, dear Lord, and you take care of this morning, won't you? And I would go to sleep. Well said this man from out of town that I met out in front of the church, he said that seemed to me like a very simple kindergarten is sort of a suggestion to be offered in a distinctive Fifth Avenue Church by a so called educated preacher. And it seemed to me rather dumb. But night after night, I couldn't sleep so when I tried it. I was ashamed of myself for such kindergarten stuff, but I tried it. And I kept it up several nights because it gave me a kind of a comfort that his eyes missed it over. And he said, You know, one night when I put my hand out there like it on a chair. I felt my hand taken in a great big, loving hand.
I said you can believe that and not just as you please. But that is the way it happened. What he did, was to seek alarm. And alarm delivered him from all these fears. Now when you get right down to it, who in the world are you anyway? You're just a child.
You've grown up a bit. You've done something in the world. You're a thinker, you're an adult, but in this great big world. You and I are just children. And we're worried and anxious. So just put out your hand. There's another hand out there. He'll take hold of your hand. He says in one other place. I am the larger God and I will take you by the right hand. Now if you're left handed, he'll take you by the left hand. It'll take care. Anyway, I thought the Lord, and he heard me He always hears you, and He will deliver you from all your fears.