When we believe in a God who always has our back, we can find the courage and confidence to face our fears head-on.
Fear is a natural human emotion that we all experience at some point in our lives, and it can be triggered by various circumstances. It can also be debilitating and hold us back from living our best lives. Fortunately, for those who believe in God, we have access to a powerful source of strength and courage.
My admission into university was a miracle in my life that helped strengthen my personal conviction that God had my back and also strengthened my personal relationship with Him. I struggled to gain admission to the university for nine years.
That year, admissions were long overdue, and I wasn't considered. But before the admissions process began, I had a revelation and was told I would get in that year.
I even had the same revelation of success the night before I wrote the qualifying exams, and when the results were out, I passed excellently, and with my grades, I had no reason not to be considered. But when the list was out, I didn't get in. I was shocked, sad, and confused because I was so prepared for school. I had already bought everything I needed.
I had every reason to question the revelation, but I knew my God always worked in the most unconventional ways in my life. This is a reality I learned to accept from my childhood when I gave my life to Christ.
Two months passed, and I had already given up on the idea of going to school that year. But one afternoon, I had a dream. In that dream, a man came to me, handed me a note, and said, "You should be in school by now, but they are preventing it; I even wrestled them to get to you today." I had no idea who they were or what he was talking about. In that dream, he asked me to fast and pray for three days, get honey on a clean white plate, and a coconut pod. He also gave me some prayers and Psalms to read, and on the third day, he told me to break my fast with the honey and smash the coconut to pieces.
I did exactly as he had instructed, and on the fourth day, a friend sent me a link on WhatsApp. I clicked on the link, and it took me to a news update on the school portal with the list of candidates considered for provisional admission. This was very strange because, normally, the semester is almost over. I checked, and my name was the third on the list, and that was how I got into the university.
Tests and exams commenced a few weeks later, and I had barely settled down. It was so difficult for me to catch up with things, but whenever I was afraid, I always remembered how I got in, and I knew that God had not brought me this far to leave me.
And this was the mindset I had throughout my four years at the university. I always had a sense of courage and confidence that I was there to succeed, and my life goal was to serve as proof of God's divine power and to be a living testimony to everyone around me.
When we believe in a God who always has our back, we can find the courage and confidence to face our fears head-on. As it says in Psalm 27:1, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" When we trust in God's love, deliverance, and protection, we can have faith that He will guide us through even the most difficult situations.
Of course, overcoming fear is not always easy, but with God's help, it is possible. As it says in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." When we trust in God's power, love, and wisdom, we can find the strength and clarity to face our fears and difficulties and overcome them.
Scriptures for Encouragement to Overcome Fear
The Bible is full of verses that encourage us to trust in God's unfailing love and care for us, even in the face of our deepest fears.
Deuteronomy 31:6, "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Here, we are reminded that God is always with us and will never leave us, even in our darkest moments.
Another powerful verse is Psalm 23:4, which reads, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." This is a reminder that even in the most difficult times, God is with us and will provide us with the comfort and protection we need to face our fears.
Isaiah 41:10 is another verse that can help dispel fear. It says, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." This verse reassures us that God is our strength and will always be there to help us overcome our fears.
Other relevant verses include Philippians 4:6-7, which encourages us to bring our fears to God in prayer and receive the peace that surpasses understanding, and 2 Timothy 1:7, which reminds us that God has given us a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind, not fear.
By meditating on these verses and praying to God, we can find the strength and courage we need to face our fears and overcome them with God's help.
Utilize the Power of Prayer to Overcome Your Fears
Prayer is a powerful tool that all believers have at their disposal to find peace and strength in times of fear and uncertainty. Throughout the Bible, we see examples of people who turned to God in prayer and found comfort and guidance in His presence. One such example is King David, who wrote many of the Psalms that express his deep trust in God and the peace that comes from seeking Him.
Psalm 91:1-2 says, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.'" This verse speaks of the safety and protection we find in God's presence when we make Him our refuge.
Believers throughout history have also experienced the power of prayer to find peace and strength. One such example is Corrie ten Boom, a Christian who lived through the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Despite the unimaginable suffering she endured, she found comfort and strength in her faith and her prayers to God. She wrote, "Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden."
Another example is Joni Eareckson Tada, who became a quadriplegic after a diving accident when she was seventeen. Despite the challenges she faced, she found peace and strength in her faith and her prayers to God. She wrote, "God has a purpose behind every problem. He uses circumstances to develop our character. In fact, he depends more on circumstances to make us like Jesus than he depends on our reading the Bible."
Through prayer, we can turn to God and find refuge in His presence. We can experience the peace and strength that come from trusting in Him.
Trusting in God’s Strength and Wisdom
Life is full of challenges and obstacles that we must face, and oftentimes, it is overwhelming to try to overcome them on our own. However, as believers, we have access to the strength and wisdom of God, which can help us navigate the toughest of circumstances.
In Isaiah 40:31, we are reminded that "those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." When we trust in God, we tap into His strength and endurance, enabling us to persevere through our trials.
In my experience, I have learned that fear is just a trick the devil and his demons use to lure us away from the blessings and breakthroughs God has in store for us. And God allows him to taunt us with fear just to measure our faith.
I have many experiences in my life that confirm this. And I realized it is the same for everyone who has a personal relationship with God.
I think it's best to say that Christians should learn to ignore fear at all costs, no matter what form it takes. We must learn to be less carnal and more spiritual; when we live in the spirit like God expects us to, we realize that fear is just a gimmick of the devil using physical and worldly appearances to fool us and kill our trust in God.
When Peter was highly in tune with the spirit, he desired to walk towards Jesus, and Jesus called to him, and Peter began to walk on water. This was a complete defiance of all worldly reality; no worldly science can justify this. But as soon as he stopped operating in the spirit and limited himself to a worldly reality, he became afraid; he began to doubt the Spirit of God in him, and he immediately began to drown.
As true believers in Christ, we must not be limited to sickness, diseases, failure, threats, or anything that dares cause fear in our hearts. They are all illusions that the devil uses to steal our confidence in God. We must always remember that God has overcome the world and given us victory over everything. John 16:33 says, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
When mortal or spiritual threats rise against you, stand firm and have faith because the Lord has your back.
"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." Isaiah 54:17
When we face fear, it's easy to feel alone and powerless. But as believers, we have the promise of God's help and protection. As we trust in God's love and care for us, we can find comfort and strength to face any challenge or obstacle. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
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