A Prayer for Brave Faith
By Gwen Smith
“…but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." (Proverbs 1:33, NIV)
It’s understandable that we wrestle with the opponent of fear. The world is broken and life isn’t a Hallmark movie or a fairy tale. (Although I do love a good Hallmark movie!) In the same token, while I realize it’s completely normal for us to process emotions of anxiety and unrest, the Bible says that it is not God’s plan for us to crumble in its wake. (2 Timothy 1:7)
We can’t let fear run our lives. Fear was never meant to control or consume us.
The good news is that God doesn’t just tell us to suck it up and deal. He gives us the tools we need to help us in the fear-fight.
God’s wisdom is perfect. It leads my heart, mind, and soul to safety and rest in a world that is filled with scary realities and uncertainties. And it’s free for the asking! He gives us wisdom when we ask for it. That promise is found in James 1:5. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
When we ask for and listen to God’s wisdom - when we hear it, yield to it, apply it and obey it - we will live in peace. Not the world’s peace – God’s peace. We will be at ease in Christ. Not with perfect lives, but with lives that are led by the Spirit of God, not controlled by fear and anxiousness. We can and will experience calm in spite of the chaos.
I hear your push back. Really? That seems too easy. It’s just not that simple, Gwen.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to tap an easy-button here. The Biblical instruction might be simple, but the implementation of it isn’t. If you and I are going to live with a brave faith we need God’s help. Remember? Jesus said that without Him we can bear NO fruit. (John 15:5) What does fruit have to do with this conversation? Glad you asked…
And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…(Galatians 5:22)
Peace. God’s peace is more powerful than the fears of this earth and His peace abounds in His presence. It is evidence of the Holy Spirit at work within us.
When you and I spend time with Jesus… when we look beyond our fears to God’s sovereign strength… when we trust in the wisdom of God and set our hearts on His Word, we find the peace our hearts long for.
Dear God, I need Your peace today. I know that in order to be at rest I have to stop juggling fear with faith. So I ask for Your wisdom. Help me to be brave. I come now and hand over these concerns (pause to personalize this). Fill me with Your love, joy and peace instead, Lord.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Editor’s Note: Content taken from Girlfriends in God devotional, How to Have Brave Faith When Life Gets Scary, written by Gwen Smith. You can read that piece in full here. All rights reserved.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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Originally published Thursday, 14 May 2020.
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