“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14 ESV)
Over the last few years, the Lord has been leading me into a journey of discovering who He is, who I am, and who He is in me.
As part of my own adventure with the Lord, I face a lot of fears and life challenges as an “introverted” and often “quiet” Christian. For most of my life I’ve never considered myself to be “bold” or “courageous.” In fact, I have dealt with a lot of fear and intimidation in my lifetime, often running away from facing my fears.
But how He longs to empower us to be His hands and feet, and to communicate His loving heart to a hurting world. To this we must grow to be “bold” and “courageous” – and no matter who we may think we are, our Father placed the capacity for courage within us before the foundations of the earth.
In my journey with the Lord, as I get to know Him in the Secret Place, not only am I discovering the truth of who He is, but also the truth about who He created me to be. He is teaching me about who I am in Him, and has truly surprised me. For the “quiet” Christians, who may struggle to find the strength God promises through Himself, here is a reflection on truth and a prayer for boldness and courage.
As we get to know the Lord, not only do we learn about His character, but we also begin to see how He sees us. We begin to catch glimpses of how much we are cherished by our loving, heavenly Father. We begin to see how valuable we are to Him.
As we grow closer to Him, all of the false beliefs we carry begin to diminish as we replace them with the beautiful truth of how our Father sees us.
Have you ever witnessed the adoring gaze of a father? As a wedding photographer, I see it all the time when I get to watch the moment when a father turns to look with his his daughter in the mirror on her wedding day. It brings tears to my eyes every time. In a father’s eyes, there is adoration, tenderness, love—how proud he is of his beautiful daughter. Hebeams. He sees no flaws, only something good and beautiful.
Our Heavenly Father also has a “mirror.” This mirror is His word. As we look into this mirror with Him, we begin to see ourselves the way He sees us. We begin to see the truth of who we were created to be, who He always dreamed for us to be.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
As we look into this “mirror” with our Heavenly Father, He lets us see into His heart. He shows us how He feels about us, how He sees us, what He loves about us. We experience His unconditional love as He looks back at us in His mirror.
Courage is more about confidence in who God is, than about confidence in our own abilities.
“Courage” isn’t the “absence of fear.” It’s the supernatural ability to “do it afraid,” knowing victory is on the other side.
When we begin to know who our Father is, and who we are in Him, we gain confidence in making the decision to start facing our fears. We learn to “take hold” of the courage we need to face the challenges in life. We can rest knowing that we don’t have to depend on our own strength; He will give us what we need, when we need it. We have a Heavenly Father who is cheering us on. He is for us.
Knowing that I have a Heavenly Father who is for me greatly encourages me in facing my fears.
He promised He will never leave me. As I walk these steps with Him, He has promised to go before me, and never to leave me.
“The LORD himself will lead you and be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you, so do not lose courage or be afraid." (Deuteronomy 31:8 Good News Translation)
I can trust that whatever He sets before me in my path, I’ll be empowered with supernatural ability when I lean on His strength. When I place my trust in Him, He will give me the courage I need in the face of fear.
As I walk with the Lord, as I face fears, as I face challenges that require courage, I begin to experience a heavenly strength that empowers me to “do it afraid.” I begin to see the Lord’s hand. I can trust that as I wait upon Him, the courage will come.
Begin to discover and experience His strength. You will find that it’s already been placed within us—it’s been there all along, empowering us to do the “impossible” because HE can do the impossible.
Guess what? The God of Creation lives within you and He lives within me. He empowers us to “roar” with courage. No matter how we may feel, this is the truth. As a child of God, I can boldly declare that I am victorious through Christ Jesus who leads me into victory.
“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)
Father,
As I face my fears, when I am feeling afraid, when I am feeling timid, remind me of who YOU are, and who I am in You. You are strong and courageous, the Almighty King and loving Father. You have said in Your word that as I wait upon You, I can “take courage,” because I know You are with me, You are for me, and You will empower me with the courage and the strength I need for whatever is placed before me. Remind me of who You have created me to be and what You have empowered me to do.
Lord, You are the Courageous One! And so right now, as I wait upon You, as I face fear and intimidation, I trust that You will keep your promise. I trust that I am who You say I am. I trust that You will give me the strength and courage I need to face this circumstance, and I trust that victory is on the other side.
I boldly declare that I will not let fear or intimidation stop me from being obedient. Help me to endure, Lord. Give me grace. You’re a good Father, and You are faithful. I trust You!
Thank you, Father.
I pray this in Jesus name,
Amen
Heather Barr is a simple country girl living in North Carolina alongside her husband, Jason. They have two Blue Heeler pups, two cats, and eight chickens. Heather enjoys photography, spending time in the garden, and curling up with a good book. Heather loves writing about her journey into the Father’s heart, as she faces her fears, discovers who she is in Christ, and learns how to live life in the Secret Place of His presence. You can follow her daily journal at Life in the Secret Place, and connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
This article is part of our Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.
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