What I have noticed is that many Christians fear. They don't realize that God doesn't want them to fear, and that there is a way to end all fear. Let me tell you, I have faced plenty of fear in my life. The enemy uses fear to keep God's people bound and unable to grow. As we will learn from God's Word, fear is a sign of immaturity. When we get into God's Word and pray it over our lives, we grow spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Even our physical health will begin to change, because worry and fear causes a lot of our physical health problems.
Below are some scriptures on fear. Each section has a scripture, prayer, and my thoughts on the scripture. Every day, we need to read these scriptures, so we can mature and overcome our fear. We need to meditate on these scriptures and let them do a new work in us. It is amazing what happens in our lives when we are in the Word and praying every day. Our lives will drastically change for the better. This doesn't mean that trials won't come our way, but, when we do go through trials, we will know exactly what to do. God's Word tells us everything we need to know.
My mom and aunt took me to church and taught me the Word at home, but I still had to make my own choices. It took me years before I read the Word and prayed on a regular basis. Even then, I did it at my own convenience. Now, I understand that it is vital for me to get up and have devotions before I start my day. Although the same problems may try to bog me down, I have noticed that I know exactly what to do each time I deal with temptations. The things I once struggled with are no longer a frustration to me. Is this because I am such a great person? "NO!!!" It is due to the power of God's Word working inside of me.
As you read the following scriptures, let them get inside of you. Study them like you are taking an important exam. There will be a lot of distractions, because the enemy doesn't want you to gain freedom from fear. Just know that the more you study these scriptures, the more freedom you will gain and the more joy you will experience.
Psalm 23:4
"Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me."
Prayer: "Father, I know that although I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."
My Thoughts: There are times when life seems dark and lonely, but this scripture is comforting. God is constantly guiding and directing my paths. His Word and Spirit are our guide, so we need to lean and trust on His understanding and not our own.
Psalm 27:1
"The Lord is my Light and my Salvation- whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?"
Prayer: "Thank you, God, that you are my Light and my Salvation, so I do not need to fear or dread. Thank you for being the Refuge and stronghold of my life, so I do not need to be afraid."
My Thoughts: Sometimes, we forget that God is our refuge. We seek the counsel of everyone else, but leave God until we have no other options. God desires us to seek Him, first. Once we begin to seek Him first, our frustration level will diminish.
Psalm 91: 5
"You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day."
Prayer: "God, I will not fear of the terror of the night, not of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, in Jesus Name."
My Thoughts: God knows that we may face terrors in our lives, but He says we do not have to fear them. As we go through life, we can put all our terrors into God big hands. As long as we leave those terrors with Him, we will not have to fear them. It's like watching a horror movie on the big screen. We may see the pictures of terror, but we know that they cannot come out of the screen and hurt us.
Psalm 119:7, 8
"I will praise and give thanks to You with uprightness of heart when I learn (by sanctified experiences) Your righteous judgments [Your decisions against and punishments for particular lines of thought and conduct].
I will keep Your statutes; O forsake me not utterly."
Prayer: "God, I will praise and give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, because I have learned Your righteous judgments. I will keep Your statutes, and I know that You will not forsake me."
My Thoughts: The best way to let go of fear is by praising God. When I am dealing with depression or fear, I am able to get over them if I begin to praise and worship God. Praise and thankfulness is like a blanket of peace that takes away depression and fear.
Proverbs 29:25
"The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever leans on, trusts in, and puts his confidence in the Lord is safe and set on high."
Prayer: "Lord, I know that fear of man brings a snare. I will lean on, trust in, and put my confidence in the You and I will be safe."
My Thoughts: There are times when we can easily lean on, trust in, and put our confidence in the Lord, but there are other times when this doesn't seem so easy. God knows this and that is why He gave us His Word. When we struggle with our dependency on God, we need to pray His Word over and over, again. It is amazing how much easier it becomes to truly lean on, trust in, and put our confidence in God when we meditate on His scriptures.
Isaiah 41:10
"Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you hold you up and retain you will My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice."
Prayer: " I will not fear, for I know you are with me, Father; I will not look around me in terror and be dismayed, for You are my God. Thank you, Father, for strengthening and hardening me to difficulties and retaining me with Your right hand of rightness and justice."
My Thoughts: Wow! God is so good! He actually strengthens us and hardens us to difficulties. In this scripture, it does not say He takes our difficulties away. He just strengthens us, so we can handle the difficulties. Difficulties are what give us our testimonies, and our testimonies are how we help and witness to others. If we can learn this principle, we will live amazing live that are full of adventure and joy.
Isaiah 54:14
"You shall establish yourself in righteousness (rightness, in conformity with God's will and order): you shall be far from even the thought of oppression or destruction, for you shall not fear, and from terror, for it shall not come near you."
Prayer: "Lord, I will establish myself in conformity to Your will. I shall be far from even the thought of oppression or destruction, because I shall not fear. I shall be far from terror, because it will not come near me."
My Thoughts: We may not always know what God's will is for our lives, but, when we study God's Word, he will show us His will. When he shows us His will for our lives, we need to trust Him and not fear. He has a plan for everyone's live, and, when we do His will, nothing can stop us. If we trust in God, terror will not affect us in any way. It only affects us when we let it over take us.
Luke 12:32
"Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is you Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom!"
Prayer: "God, I will not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, because I know it is Your good pleasure to give me the kingdom!"
My Thoughts: God wants the best for our lives. He knows that when we are fearful, we can enjoy the best that He gives us. This is why it is very important to work on giving our fear to God. This can only be done when we pray God's Word. Once we start praying God's Word each day, it will become a habit to pray God's Word in every situation.
II Timothy 1:7
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, or craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control."
Prayer: " God, I know that You do not give me a spirit of timidity, but you give me a spirit of power, love, a calm and well-balanced mind, discipline, and self-control."
My Thoughts: There was a time when power, love, a calm and well-balanced mind, discipline, and self-control was foreign to me. They felt so unattainable, but they were something I desperately wanted in my life. This was because I knew they would help me in every area of my life. After praying God's Word and giving up fear, I have watched power, love, a calm and well-balanced mind, discipline, and self-control creep into my life. Every day, I become more disciplined and able to love more people. It is amazing what happens when we let go of the fear and trust God completely.
Hebrews 13: 5, 6
"Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper, I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?"
Prayer: Father, help me to have character that is free from the love of money and have a satisfaction with my present circumstances. I know that You will not leave me nor give me up or leave me without support. I will take comfort and be encouraged and confidently and boldly say that You are my Helper. I will also not be seized with alarm.
My Thoughts: The above prayer is power, and it changes lives. Every time we pray this pray, we believe and trust more in God. Our faith is like a seed that grows, and, when we have faith, we are less likely to fear. Times of trouble may rise up, but our words combined with God's Word will be victorious.
I Peter 3:14
"But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gently and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God."
Prayer: Thank You, God, that the inward adorning and beauty of my heart is gentle and peaceful, and help me not be anxious about anything. God, I know that I am precious in Your sight.
My Thoughts: One of the most important knowledge we need to obtain is who we are in Christ. We are precious to Him, so we should have no reason to fear. As a child, we are able to draw near to Him and find safety. Sometimes, we just naturally go into panic mode and fear, but it is time that Christians rise above fear and lean on our Savior and King.
I John 4:18
"There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection]."
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for teaching me how to love and become mature in You. I declare that love turns fear out and expels all the terror I may face.
My Thoughts: Lately, my biggest prayer and desire is that the Holy Spirit teaches me the Word of God. His Word we can declare in victory, but it is only through the knowledge of Jesus Christ that we can accept and learn the Word. If we pray for the Teacher to teach us, then He will gladly teach us and guide us. His ways are better than ours, so we need to learn about Him. God is so big that we will never stop learning more about Him.
Weekly Challenge: We need to study God's Word daily and meditate on it, so we can get His Word in our hearts. Praying God's Word is a great way to meditate on it and discover the power we need to conquer fear. Fear does not have to control us, but we can cast out fear and live in victory. At first, you can use the above scriptures to pray God's Word concerning fear, but, after awhile, you need to step out and find your own scriptures to meditate on.
Praying God's Word can be used in all circumstances. There are times when I need peace, so I pray the Word for peace. Other times I need self-control, so I read and study all the scriptures I can find on self-control. God's Word is a great way to get through tough times and past trials and tribulation. God's Word is true and should be trusted in all circumstances.
"We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face…
We must do that which we think we cannot."
Eleanor Roosevelt