Sometimes, no doubt, God answers our anxiety by conquering the source of our fear.  As Jesus stood up to the storm and commanded it to be still, His Father intervenes in our circumstances and providentially delivers us.  Providential care does not require a miracle, but most often employs people, places and things for divine purposes.

The prophet Elijah battled the demon of fear.  This might disappoint us since he is truly iconic in biblical history.  How could the man who foreshadowed John the Baptist and exemplified the prayer of a “righteous man” in the book of James lose his confidence before God?  Yet, even after being rescued from starvation by ravens and a poor widow in Zarephath, Elijah was still capable of crying out “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” (1 Kings 19:10 NIV)

It is one thing to be free from fear in the abstract and quite another to remain calm when trouble presses in.  This is why we can be lulled into a false sense of security when we are safely tucked into our church buildings, surrounded by fellow-believers.  It is also why some of the most profound prayers take place in our workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods.  This is where our anxious hearts meet an engaging God and also where He removes our fears through invisible and visible means.