Fear is something that grips our hearts at one time or the other. How wonderful it is to have faith in a God who can help us overcome it and replace it with peace.
The Bible says:
Hebrews 11:1 NIV “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
The faith that comes from God, gives us confidence that what we believe is true, even the parts that we can’t see. We know by our faith, that God will fulfill His promises.
Hebrews 11:6 NIV “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
In our Christian walk, this verse tells us God is not pleased when we are without faith. We have to believe that not only does He exist, but He is here to help those who seek Him.
2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV “ For we live by faith, not by sight.“
We are different from the world because we live by faith, our belief is not based on sight. So when we are fearful, we need to go back to basics and remember our faith in Jesus Christ. He can restore our peace and remove our fear.
Here are points to remember when we are fearful.
- Ask God in Faith
- Accept it by Faith
- Claim God’s Promise
- Rely on the Holy Spirit
- Read God’s Word
- Practice Good Thoughts
- Conclusion
Ask God in Faith
Jesus and the disciples were going back to the city after going to the temple. Jesus was hungry and saw a fig tree, went to it and found no fruit on the tree. He cursed it and immediately it withered.
Matthew 21:20-22 ESV “When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “’How did the fig tree wither at once?’” And Jesus answered them, “‘Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.’”
If we are seeking God’s will in our prayers, we will not ask Him for something out of His will.
We do have to have faith He’s going to do it. If we doubt, we may not receive it. Sometimes we don’t ask because we’re afraid He won’t answer. He always answers, maybe not when we want, but when it’s best for us.
Make sure you are asking Him in faith and believing He will do it.
Accept It By Faith
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
You need to trust God is going to help you overcome your fear. Don’t try to reason it out, accept it by faith. Submit to His help, peace will then take the place of your fear. Remember don’t doubt. Who else has the power to change your life?
Claim God’s Promise
Joshua 1:9 NIV “‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’”
The Lord promised Joshua He would be with him. The same promise belongs to us.
Do not be afraid, be strong and have courage because I am with you. Everywhere you go.
This also includes where we go in our minds. God gives us the strength to overcome every kind of trial. Give Him control over your mind. Claim His promise to take care of you.
Rely on the Holy Spirit
2 Timothy 1:7 NIV “ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit to help us.
Ephesians 1:13 NIV “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,”
God the Holy Spirit dwells in us. This Spirit does not create fear in us but power, love and self-discipline. He is there to help us overcome fear and replace it with God’s strength and love. We can access the discipline to do this from the Holy Spirit by asking.
Read God’s Word
Psalm 92:16-19 NIV “Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.
Here the Psalmist is giving witness of what God has done for him. He was overwhelmed with anxiety because of the wicked.
He felt helpless, “My foot is slipping”. What happened? The Lord expressed His love through His support. When he was anxious, God’s consolation brought him joy.
How do we get that consolation? We go to His Word and read it. We receive joy by doing it. Make a habit of it.
Practice Good Thoughts
Philippians 4:8 NIV “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
This is the way the Lord wants us to think. True, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable things, praiseworthy, all attributes God loves.
When we keep our mind on things God loves, there is no room for fear. When it creeps in, shut the door and think God’s way. Use His strength to help you.
Proverbs 12:25 ESV “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”
Conclusion
Fear is a normal response in life but does not have to overcome us. We have the Lord to help us by reading His Word, and talking to Him in prayer.
The more we depend on Him for His help, the stronger we’ll become. The stronger we become, the more joy we’ll have.
Try to find time to talk to the Lord about your fears. Tell Him everything that is bothering you, whether it’s reasonable or not. Many things come to light when we ask God’s advice.
Another thing to do is a Topical Study on Fear. Go to the concordance in the back of your Bible. It there is not one, go online here Concordance, ESV.org
Look up fear and there will be verses listed under it. Read and meditate on these verses. A Bible Journal would be good to help keep track.
Be sure to check out my resource page for freebees.
If you have any questions, please comment. Jackie
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