"I prayed to dispel my fear, until suddenly, and I do not know how the idea came to me, I began to pray for others. I prayed for everyone who came into my thoughts - - people with whom I had traveled, those who had been in prison with me, my school friends of years ago. I do not know how long I continued my prayer, but this I do know - - my fear was gone! Interceding for others had released me!"

Corrie Ten Boom describes a transformative moment in which her approach to prayer shifts dramatically. Initially, her prayers are focused entirely on herself, pleading for her own fear to be removed. Fear, especially in times of grave hardship and danger such as those faced by Ten Boom during the Holocaust, can be overwhelming and paralyzing. It is natural in those moments to turn inward, seeking comfort and relief from one's own terror and anxieties.

Yet, amid her fear, an unexpected idea arises, she does not know its source or logic, only that it interrupts her self-focused praying. She starts to pray not for herself, but for others: for companions from her travels, fellow prisoners, even for childhood friends. This redirection marks a profound spiritual shift. By moving outward in her petitions, she steps outside the limits of her own suffering, connecting empathetically with the pains, needs, and experiences of numerous others.

The result is significant and immediate. She loses track of how long she remains in this posture of intercession, but the change within her is clear: her personal fear dissipates. Fear is often isolating, driving people inward, making their concerns loom larger than life. By choosing to intercede for others, Ten Boom breaks free from that isolation and the suffocating confines of self. Her fear loses its grip, as though the act of lifting up others lightens her own burden.

There is also a spiritual implication here regarding the redemptive power of compassion and selflessness. Praying for others is not just a religious exercise; it is a means of emotional and psychological liberation. Interceding connects her to the world beyond herself, offering relief from fear not through escape, but through active concern for others, a lesson in the healing power of empathy and outward love.