For many years of my life, I was crippled with worry, and paralyzed by fear. You name it, I was afraid of it. I even became known for being afraid of things.
When the fear was at its worst, I would shut myself away from the world, from people, from situations. What kind of “life” was I living? I knew the Lord. I was saved, but God was a very “distant” God to me—at least that’s how I perceived Him to be. I was even afraid of God, the very One who could help me.
Fear speaks lies. Worry says, “what if?” Fear turns to panic, and panic shuts us down, and makes us run and hide. Before we know it, fear becomes our “identity” if we keep agreeing with it. The more we live a lifestyle of fear, the more we become used to that way of life, and the more acceptable it seems.
But the Lord says He didn’t give us a spirit of fear. He tells us He has given us a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind.
So how do we go from living a lifestyle of fear, to a lifestyle of faith? Here are some steps I have found to be helpful in fighting fear in everyday life:
Fear will try to make us think it’s “just the way we are,” but this is not the truth.
The word of God says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).
We need to repent of a lifestyle of fear and worry. In order to leave the way we are, we have to just begin taking those steps to move forward into the new life we were made to live in Christ.
A Prayer:
Lord, I humbly come before You and repent of living a lifestyle of fear and worry. I realize that when I live in fear, I’m not believing in You. I realize that when I live in constant worry, I’m not trusting You. Forgive me, Father. Help me to know You, to have a hunger for Your ways, and help me to trust You. Holy Spirit, I need Your help to live a life of faith and courage. Give me a hunger to seek You and to know You more. Help me to realize when I’m living in fear, remind me when I’m worrying and fretting. Teach me how to live a lifestyle of faith. Now, in the name of Jesus, I command fear to go. I declare that I do not have a spirit of fear, but I have a spirit of power, of life, and I have been given a sound mind! Father, I receive Your love. Help me to experience Your love and Your peace in a life-changing way!
I was afraid of was asking for prayer, but the Lord put it on my heart to seek it anyway. Yes, I was nervous and afraid, but what the Lord did through that time of prayer was life-changing. He helped me to step into my journey from fear to faith through the power of prayer.
If you feel compelled to seek prayer, I encourage you to get up and go. We all need prayer, always (Psalm 73:26). There is a reason the Lord asks us to pray for one another—it changes lives.
Find God in the “secret place” and get to know the Father in a deeper way. Ask Him to take hold of Your life, and He will lead you into a deeper trust in Him.
In my journey from fear to faith, the Lord gave me a passage of Scripture that I hold closely to my heart. This passage is Psalm 91.
Meditating on this Psalm has transformed my life. Sometimes I read it quietly, and sometimes I declare it out loud. I asked God to make this passage real to me, and He has. He so tenderly teaches me that when I live in His presence, there is no room for fear.
Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God
“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.”
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the [a]fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.” (Psalm 91 NKJV)
Speaking truth is powerful. Replace fearful words and phrases running through your mind with biblical truth. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring fearful thoughts to your attention. Ask God to take you from a lifestyle of fear to a lifestyle of faith. Remember that this is His will for your life and He will see you through.
Even if I don’t feel brave and courageous right away, I continue declaring the Word. Courageous faith does not always mean waiting for bravery to overtake you, but rather stepping out in love and obedience, despite the fear, to find out what better things God has in store for you.
At times like these, I can trust that He is doing something that I might not see. His Work assures me that I can know He is always working (Philippians 2:13).
Here is a powerful declaration, based on Isaiah 41:10. I encourage you to speak this boldly when you face fear or worry:
My God says not to fear, because He is with me! He says not to be afraid, for He is my God. He promises that He will give me strength, and that He will surely help me. He promises to uphold me with His right hand. This is my God, and I will put my trust in Him!
Declare: My God! I declare my trust in You, I declare my trust in Your holy Word, no matter how my circumstances appear, no matter how necessary it may seem to be worried right now. I declare that I trust in You and that You are My strong shield!
“You are my strong shield, and I trust you completely. You have helped me, and I will celebrate and thank you in song.” (Psalm 28:7 Contemporary English Version)
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV)
“David also said to Solomon his son, ‘Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.” (1 Chronicles 28:20 NIV)
The enemy can’t cause you to lose your victory, but he will try to convince you to give up. Don’t let him deceive you.
Remembering why you are here, and the purpose you have been given will help you to put your fears into perspective. We are here to do God’s work in the earth, the One who made and controls the whole story. We can take heart knowing that we have victory in Christ, and we can take courage because He has commanded us to be courageous! And what He commands, He will give us strength to accomplish (Romans 1:5).
Don’t give up. Jesus is worth it all.
One day, in this journey from fear to faith, you’ll suddenly realize that you’re doing things you’ve been afraid of your whole life.
You won’t know how you got there, but you know there has been transformation.
Then you’ll know it was God. You’ll start to recognize the path He has led you on to faith and away from fear, the path that leads to Him. Keep praising Him for what He accomplishes in you and others, and keep following Him. The enemy will try many different tactics, and hidden fears will surface that you probably never knew about. But the Lord will take you through these fears. He wants to take you so far beyond what you ever dreamed He could do in your life. You’ll find yourself living bravely in ways you never imagined you could live. If might not look like you expected, but God’s plans for us are always better than our own.
“…‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6 NKJV)
“He will not fear bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.” (Psalm 112:7 Berean Study Bible)
“On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold and strengthened my soul.” (Psalm 138:3 NASB)
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.
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