Untitled Sermon (105)

6) We see the PUZZLEMENT of the DISCIPLES at the DISPLAY of the SAVIOR. Mark 4:39, 41

Mark 4:39 (KJV 1900)

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Mark 4:41 (KJV 1900)

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

I ] Overcoming the Spirit of Fear

Fear was a big problem in the world during the Coronorvirus .

There is fear about finances – of losing a job and not being able to pay bills.

Evidently – there’s was huge fear of running out of toilet paper!

All of us know what it’s like to be afraid.

Some people are afraid of snakes or spiders.

For some of you it may be storms, heights, fear of flying, or fear of death.

Having fears is normal.

For instance, there is a normal, healthy fear that causes you to take precautions so you didn’t get the corona virus.

But the spirit of fear is something else altogether!

It is a demonic spirit that wants to take over your thoughts and life!

That spirit is working overtime right now and that’s why I’m preaching today on Overcoming the Spirit of Fear.

We must overcome fear or it will take over our lives.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says: Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. God wants nothing to hinder or hold us back.

And one of the biggest things that holds people back is fear.

Fear keeps you from entering into everything God has for you. We see this in the children of Israel.

They had been in slavery for 400 years and God heard their prayers and set them free. He used many miraculous signs and wonders to deliver them.

They saw His power first-hand time and time again. Yet when it came time to enter into the Promised Land – when they finally got to where they were going – they refused to enter in.

Why? Because of fear.

They were afraid.

They sent spies into the land to check it out. When they got back, Numbers 13:30-33 says that Joshua and Caleb said: We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."

But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are."

And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored.

They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.

We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."

In Numbers 14:9 Joshua and Caleb said: Do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up.

Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.

But the people did not overcome their fear and fear kept the children of Israel from entering into their destiny – their promise – their dream.

Is fear holding you back?

Is fear keeping you from entering into your destiny – promise – dream?

Is fear holding you back from risking anything?

Fear of failure causes many people to never try anything that is not completely safe – so they stay stuck in life.

Not only does fear hold you back, but it can impact those around you.

Now - maybe you think you have no fears, but maybe you’re a worrier – constantly anxious over what may happen.

If you look up the word “worry” in a thesaurus – you’ll these words with similar meaning: anxiety, apprehension, nervousness, stress, fear.

In other words – worry is just another name for fear.

All of us have fears that we need to overcome.

If we don’t – it will hinder our lives.

Fear hinders relationships by keeping people from making the call to ask someone out and start a relationship or making the call to ask for forgiveness and restore a relationship.

Fear hinders careers by keeping people from going back to school or asking for a promotion.

Fear hinders blessing by keeping people from tithing by making them think, “I can’t afford to tithe.”

Fear hinders worship by keeping people more concerned about what people think than what God thinks!

Satan’s desire is to steal, kill and destroy, and fear is one of his biggest tactics.

Overcoming fear is not theoretical to me – it’s something I’ve had to do!

When I was young, I had a lot of shame in my life.

Shame defined and controlled me on a daily basis.

I would wake up in the morning with this awful sense of shame hanging over me.

I would go to bed at night with uncontrollable thoughts racing through my head: Thoughts like: You are such a loser. You are so stupid.

Something is so wrong with you.

No one wants to be your friend.

I was so consumed by shame.

Almost every very time I had a conversation with someone I would feel an overwhelming sense of shame.

I would obsess about the conversation, playing it over and over in my mind while telling myself how stupid I sounded.

Eventually, I became terrified of having conversations.

I was so afraid of talking to people that I became afraid to leave my house.

The technical name for this is agoraphobia, which is an irrational fear of being in public.

Through much prayer and counseling I did overcome this.

Thank God I did because it was tormenting to live that way.

1 John 4:18 says that fear has torment.

The word torment comes from the same root word at torture.

It means to cause pain and suffering – physical, mental or emotional.

Fear wants to stalk you, track you down and capture you. Fear will hinder you - limit you - paralyze you.

What fear has you bound?

Whatever it is, this much I know: Fear is not from God.

The most common command in the Bible is “Fear not.”

If God commands us not to fear – then it must be possible to not fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 tells us: For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

This verse tells us that fear is not of God.

Fear is not like a cold where you can just let it run its course and will eventually get better.

Fears only get worse. They don’t just go away - They must be overcome.

And God has given us the tools to overcome the spirit of fear.

But fear must be resisted – it will not just go away.

So let’s look at 3 ways we overcome a spirit of fear:

1- We Overcome the Spirit of Fear with God’s Power To overcome fear, we cannot deny it, hide from it, give in to it or run from it.

We must face it with the power of God.

There is someone I know who had really high blood pressure, but was afraid to go to the doctor and get it checked.

When the nurse tried to take to take her blood pressure, she would refuse.

Even though she knew the consequences could be deadly, she was just too afraid.

After many years of this she finally overcame her fear.

She just did it afraid.

When you face your fear by doing what you are afraid to do, you break the power of fear in your life.

1 John 5:4 says: This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith

. We overcome fear the way Jesus taught us to overcome: with the Word.

That’s what I had to do to overcome a spirit of fear.

Pastor Joe and his friend love to travel.

They’e flown hundreds of times with no fear.

However, after having 2 MRI’s, everything changed.

An MRI is like a full-body X-Ray taken with you enclosed in a tube.

He got very fearful in the MRI machine. In fact, Joe had to hold on to my foot and pray for me the whole time.

The next time we traveled – when I got into the plane – an enclosed tube - I was attacked by fear.

As soon as the door closed, I felt like I had to get off the plane right then and there.

But Joe did not let me off the plane.

He knew the only way to defeat that fear was to face it.

By then it was too late anyway – so the stewardess helped me find a seat on the aisle where I did not feel so closed in.

If I had given in to that fear, that would have been the last time we ever flew.

So I faced the fear of flying and conquered it.

How? I did it afraid.

I flew afraid until I overcame my fear.

Courage is not the absence of fear – it is choosing to do it afraid!

So I fought the way Jesus taught us to fight: with the Word.

I found a Bible verse that I memorized and quoted.

Psalm 56:3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.

That’s a great verse to quote when you’re afraid.

You may say, “But I’ve tried to overcome fear and I can’t.”

Well in your own strength that’s true.

Apart from God, we can do nothing. However, we must believe that through His power, we can do anything God wants us to. Philippians 4:13 says: I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. I can do what things? Everything! Including overcoming fear. Anything God wants me to do, He gives me the power to do. That power comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Instead of being filled with fear, be filled with faith. Instead of being filled with a spirit of fear, be filled with the spirit of God. You can overcome fear with the power of God. We have the power of the blood of Christ, the power of the Word of God, and the power of the name of Jesus. Demons tremble at the sound of that name! When we resist the spirit of fear in the name of Jesus, it must flee! So, overcome the spirit of fear with the power of God!!

2- We Overcome the Spirit of Fear with a Sound Mind The Amplified version of 2 Timothy 1:7 says: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of 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.

We see here an amplification of the phrase “sound mind.”

A sound mind is calm, well-balanced, disciplined and self-controlled.

A mind controlled by fear is the opposite of this.

● Instead of being calm, a mind controlled by fear is constantly stirred up and stormy.

● Instead of being well balanced, a mind controlled by fear is out of balance – totally focused on the bad not the good – the negative not the positive.

• Instead of being disciplined and self-controlled, a mind controlled by fear is out of control.

Fear will impact the way you think.

If you think fearful thoughts – fear will control your mind.

But if you think God’s thoughts – faith will control your mind!

If you speak fearful words – fear will control your life.

But if you speak God’s word – faith will control your life!

Most of our fears are the result of wrong thinking.

That’s why God’s word says our minds need to be renewed.

Romans 12:2 says: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

We need to renew our minds through the word of God.

We’ve got to choose to believe God more than we believe circumstances.

For instance, we hear voices all around talking gloom and doom.

We can either choose to be afraid OR we can trust in God and accept His word that He will protect us and meet all our needs according to His riches in glory.

We can live in fear of dying or we can overcome that fear by knowing 2 Corinthians 5:8 tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord in heaven – a much better place.

When we think Biblically, we have a "sound mind" – we have peace. When we have a sound mind - fear just doesn’t make sense.

3- We Overcome the Spirit of Fear with Love At first glance, it does not seem that love could be effective in conquering fear.

You would think it would be something like faith.

However, Galatians 5:6 says faith works through love.

1 John 4:18-19 says: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.

But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

We love Him because He first loved us.

Fear and love cannot coexist.

When one comes in – the other must leave.

Here’s how this works: The more we love God, the less fear we will have.

It’s a matter of trust.

When we realize that God loves us and will take care of us, it relieves our fears.

When we trust in His perfect love – it casts out all fear.

The more secure we are in the fact that God loves us and works all things for our good, the less fear we will have.

The Lord is with us wherever we go and His love casts out all fear!

Once we understand the perfect love of God, we have nothing to fear. I don’t fear death, because my Father has given me eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!

I don’t fear lack because my Father meets all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus!

I don’t fear the devil, because greater is He that is in me that he that is in the world.

I don’t fear the future because the future’s in my Father’s hands.

I don’t fear what man can do to me because if God is for me, who can be against me?

I don’t fear evil because what the enemy means for evil, my Father turns to my good.

I don’t fear job loss, because Jehovah Jireh is my provider.

I don’t fear sickness, because Jehovah Rapha is my physician – and He’s the great physician.

Do you get what I’m saying today?

When you know the Lord – His perfect love casts out all fear!

when you know He is good all the time – Perfect love casts out all fear!

when you know He works all things for your good – when you know that nothing can separate you from His love – when you know that He will never leave you or forsake you – And when you know that His perfect love casts out all fear – then there is no longer any room for fear!

You overcome fear by practicing the presence of Jesus.

You do that by cultivating your awareness that God is always with you.

You do what God told Joshua to do when he was about to lead Israel into a land full of giants.

God told him in Joshua 1:9 Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

That’s the same thing God wants to say to us today: be strong and have courage.

And do not be afraid. Why? Because God is with us.

We overcome fear when we know God is with us.

We overcome fear when we know God is in us.

We overcome fear when we know God is for us. God has not given you fear, but He’s given you the way to overcome fear: power, love and sound mind.

That means if you have fear – you are lacking one or more of those three things!

You need the power of God to resist the spirit of fear.

You need the word of God to renew your mind so you won’t think fearful thoughts.

Or you need a revelation of the love of God that casts out all fear.

All fear! Not some fear or most fear!

All fear! Refuse to live in fear one more day!

Overcome the spirit of fear with the power of God, the love of God, and a renewed mind that resists the spirit of fear with the Word of God!

You have the power of the Holy Spirit and you can overcome the spirit of fear in Jesus’ name!!!

5 observations: Matt 14:22-36 Mark 4:35-41

1)Fear is always waiting •(vs Matt 14: 22-24 s 24 …the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.”

•Fear is always waiting for a chance to enter our lives Fear is that sensation, feeling or inner knowing that anything could happen and the result of what happens will not be good.

•Intruder

•Car crash

•Failure

•Confrontation

2) Fear blinds us from seeing Jesus •(vs Matt 14 : 25-26) vs 26 … they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

•Fear will blind you “Fear is like the monster under my kids’ beds — its power is fuelled not by what’s really there, but by what might be, what we imagine could be. Fear is a hollow darkness in the future that reaches back through time to rob our joy now by belittling the sovereign goodness of God.” (Jonathan Parnell)

3) Fear stems from unbelief •(vs Matt 14: 27-31) vs 31 … “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

•Fear = Unbelief •Intruder – God is with me and will protect me. (Ps 118:6) •Car crash – Gods plans are perfect, He up holds me. (Ps18:30)

•Failure- God will provide for me every need. (Phil 4:19)

•Confrontation – God defines my identity.

(Rom 8:31, 2Cor 5:17) What about the fear of the Lord?

(Psalm 111:10) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

To him belongs eternal praise.

•It’s a reverential fear

4) Faith in Jesus calms the storm

•(vs Matt 14: 32-33) vs 32-33 “…the wind died down.

Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

•The opposite of fear is faith (Hebrews 11:1) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

•Hope = a strong and confident expectation.

•There is a difference between misplaced and well placed faith.

5) Faith sends us

•(vs Matt 14 34-36) vs 35 “And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country.”

“God our Father has made all things depend on faith so that whoever has faith will have everything, and whoever does not have faith will have nothing.” (Martin Luther) How do we overcome fear?

1.Take all our fears to God (Ps 34:4)

2.Receive Gods love (1John 4:18)

3.Receive Gods Spirit (2Tim 1:7)

How do we grow in faith?

1.Understand that faith is a gift from God (Eph 2:8-9)

2.Spend time in the word (Romans 10:17)

3.Spend time in prayer and worship (Psalm 119: 10, 11, 15)

4.Experience adversity (James 1:2-4) “To live by faith is to live joyfully, to live with assurance, untroubled by doubts and with complete confidence in all we have to do and suffer at each moment by the will of God.

We must realize that it is in order to stimulate and sustain this faith that God allows the soul to be buffeted and swept away by the raging torrent of so much distress, so many troubles, so much embarrassment and weakness, and so many setbacks.

For it is essential to have faith to find God behind all this.” (Jean-Pierre de Caussade) (Heb11:6) "Without faith it is impossible to please God.”

5 Strategies for How to Remove Fear from Mind and Heart

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

No matter how old I am, feelings of fear continue to linger in my heart and mind. Even as a twenty-s, young professional, and “new adult,” I still encounter fear too often. I question my ability to perform at work. I am scared of making the wrong decision about where to live. I fear never reaching my dreams and goals. Oh, I wish fear would stop coming around, making me second guess myself, and holding me back. I wish I knew how to remove fear from mind and heart, so I could act boldly for Christ. At this point, I’d say letting go of fear is definitely overdue. 📷 This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information. Table of Contents hide 1 The Struggle with Removing Fear from Mind and Heart 1.1 What is the spirit of fear? 1.2 What does God and the Bible say about fear? 2 Strategies for How to Remove Fear from Mind and Heart 2.1 1. Be Honest about Your Fear 2.2 2. Overcoming Fear Biblically with Scripture 2.3 3. Using Prayer to Remove Fear from Mind and Heart 2.4 4. Overcoming Fear in Life by Living by Faith 2.5 5. Letting it Go: How to Push Through Fear 3 Overcoming the Spirit of Fear 3.1 How to Remove Fear from Mind and Heart PDF + Prayer Report ad

The Struggle with Removing Fear from Mind and Heart

At the start of 2020, I chose a word for the year: “audacity.” In my journal, I wrote what audacity would mean to me this year. Having audacity would mean to “start taking risks and stop playing it safe.” It would mean to “stop worrying and letting fear drive my decisions.” However, it wasn’t as simple as writing down an intention and then living out that intention. Even though I set out with high hopes and concrete plans for 2020, much of the year has been ruled by fear. The coronavirus pandemic shattered many peoples illusion of certainty, and fear quickly moved in. As all started to come around and see what the coronavirus could teach us over the course of the year, Many realized how important it was to put our hope in God, who was certain.

Yet still, the struggle overcoming fear continued. Learning how to remove fear from the mind and heart and live with audacity was a journey. And that journey began with recognizing the spirit of fear.

What is the spirit of fear? In my sophomore year of college, I made the decision that before I graduated college, I would apply for the Fulbright fellowship. I spent countless hours on essays, revisions, rewrites, research, and interviews to become an English Teaching Assistant in the co-principality of Andorra. My senior year of college, I was selected as a Fulbright teaching assistant, and over the next six months, planned for my departure to Andorra. During that time of planning, I never felt fear–only excitement–over where God was leading me. Until the four days before I was to leave. I was sitting in the kitchen of my parent’s house late one night, and I felt the spirit of fear. At first, it started out small–a bit of a hesitation and a sprinkle of doubt. Then I started doubting and questioning more details about my trip, my job, the country of Andorra. I picked apart everything in my mind and ruminated over my worries. The spirit of fear came upon me in full force and I felt so scared that I couldn’t move. I was paralyzed by fear. That night, I took a deep breath, I journaled, and I prayed. Four days later, I ended up getting on that plane and going to Andorra to have one of the most incredible experiences of my life.

What does God and the Bible say about fear? Throughout the Bible, God talks a lot about fear to His people and through His prophets. He tells his people “Do not to Fear.”  Whenever He speaks directly to one of His people or an angel appears, He says, “Do not be Afraid.” Isaiah 44:2 (ESV) “Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you. Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.” Since God says “Fear not”  to us, it’s safe to say that we don’t need to hide our fear from God. He knows when we are fearful because He knows our hearts. But as 2 Timothy says (and the rest of the Bible), God doesn’t want us to live in fear. He wants to help us remove fear from the mind and heart. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” The passage 2 Timothy 1:7 is a Bible verse about fear that I’ve repeated a lot to myself over the past year, especially when it comes to learning how to remove fear from the mind and heart. This Bible verse has reminded me that God did not intend for us to live in fear. Instead, God wants us to live in His Spirit. A Spirit of power and love and a sound mind. The Holy Spirit within us grants us these strengths. With Jesus, we can be confident as we approach God and receive his gifts of love, grace, and mercy (Hebrews 10:19-22). However, when we don’t live with God’s Spirit, we invite fear in.

Strategies for How to Remove Fear from Mind and Heart

Fear out of hand can easily control us, separate us from others, keep us from making decisions, and leave us anxious, stressed, and worried. This is what I faced when I was deciding whether or not I was going to take the teaching position in Andorra. But it’s also what I face when I’m making a presentation at work. Fear is what keeps me paralyzed when I’m terrified of making the wrong decision. It’s what makes me second guess myself and miss out something that could be challenging, stimulating, and a great learning experience. For those moments of fear, here are strategies for how to remove fear from mind and heart.

1. Be Honest about Your Fear Being honest about your fear is so important to facing your fear and letting go of your fear. You can’t face something you don’t admit exists. Kara J Lovett Co. Instead of letting your fear pick you apart, pick apart your fear. Write down what your fear really is. Try to avoid abstracts and find a concrete description of what is really scaring you. Then you can journal your thoughts around your fear to really understand what your fear is. If you’re not a writer, find a trusted friend and tell them about your fear. My Story: Step One to Overcome Fear Report ad When it comes to hopping on a plane to go halfway across the world to live in a country where I know no one, I have no problem. But there’s another dream of mine that lately has been plagued by fear. I have always wanted to be a published author. I have memories of carrying around a notebook to the lunch room in fourth grade just so I could sneak in a bit of time to write. Now I scribble in notes during my lunch break at work. My dream is for one of my made-up tales to reach someone else or lots of someone elses. But I’m scared. I’m scared that I’m not good enough or doing enough. I’m scared that I’ll mess things up. I fear failure. I’m scared that people won’t take a young business consultant seriously as a novelist. I fear that editors and agents will look at my modest social media following and just not consider my writing. I’m scared that I’ll succeed. I’m scared that I don’t even know what “success” will look like.

2. Overcoming Fear Biblically with Scripture Now that the fear has been admitted, I turn to the Bible to help me remove the fear from my mind and heart. The Bible is full of stories about people like you and me! Sometimes we take Biblical characters and elevate them on a platform as though they had superpower capabilities that allowed them to accomplish God’s will in such amazing ways. God did use these people in the Bible to accomplish amazing things! But, they were normal people like you and me. God’s power and strength was shown through them for His glory, but they most definitely felt fear just like you and I do. Stories of Fear in the Bible Because the people in the Bible experienced fear and had to overcome it, they are great examples for us to ponder when we find ourselves face to face with fear. Their stories encourage us to stand on faith instead of giving way to fear. Here are some examples of stories of fear in the Bible: Noah and the Ark: Noah felt fear when God told him to build a boat, when everyone ridiculed him, and when the floodwaters came. He spent a year on the ark before stepping onto land again!Moses and the Egyptian Pharaoh: The Pharaoh had immense power and was holding the Isrealites captive as slaves. Moses felt so much fear that when God asked Moses to tell Pharaoh to let the Isrealites go, Moses asked God to find someone else.The spies in the Promised Land: Of the twelve spies that went into the promised land to scope it out, ten of them were filled with fear and reported that the Isrealites should stay put instead of taking the land God promised them. Caleb and Joshua likely felt fear, but they encouraged the Isrealites to trust in God’s might instead.Queen Esther: Queen Esther feared the loss of all of her family and the Jews, to be killed by the King’s new decree. She was scared and frightened when she invited the king to a banquet so that she could ask for him to change his decree.Ruth: A Moabite, Ruth lost her husband and father-in-law, but she refused to leave her mother-in-law. She moved to a land not her own, Judah, while fearing the unknown.David: Before he was crowned King, David lived in fear as King Saul tried to kill David multiple times. Report ad While we know these Bible stories well, we often don’t think about the fear that the people in these stories likely faced. Their journeys, like ours, weren’t easy. They probably hesitated, doubted themselves, and questioned if they’d make it to the light at the end of the tunnel. Bible Verses about Overcoming Fear But thankfully, that’s not the end of the story. Amidst these Biblical stories, God appears and provides us encouragement and plenty of Bible verses about overcoming fear. Here are a few of my favorite scriptures on fear and deliverance from fear. Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (ESV)Isaiah 41:13: “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” (ESV) Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (ESV) Luke 1:30: “And the angel said to her [Mary], ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.’” (ESV)Psalm 91:5-6: “You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.” (ESV) Psalm 34:19 (ESV): “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” 2 Timothy 4:18While meditating on these Bible verses about overcoming fear, God will transform our hearts and our minds. By trusting in His word and that He is who He says He is, we allow Him to remove the fear from our minds and hearts. 3. Using Prayer to Remove Fear from Mind and Heart Prayer is a powerful tool we as Christians have at our disposal. It is constant communion with God our Father. When I think about the religions where you have to pray through a priest or be in a temple, I am overcome with gratitude that through Jesus Christ we have direct access to God (Hebrews 6:19-20). Psalms 34:17-18 says: (ESV) “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” We can pray to God no matter where we are, what we are doing, or what is on our hearts. While we may not always have time to open our Bible and look up scriptures about overcoming fear, it takes only moments to pray to God. All of our feelings of fear, worry, and anxiety can be communicated up to God in a moment. My Story: Step Three to Overcome Fear As a writer pursuing publication, I have been so blessed by the power of prayer. Anytime I get anxious about a submission or lost about where to go next, I can communicate those feelings to God in prayer and ask Him to help me remove my fear from mind and heart. What surprises me about prayer is that even without receiving an immediate answer, prayer encourages me and uplifts me. Prayer is an active reminder that:God is with meGod is watching over meGod cares for meGod has a sovereign planGod’s strength and Spirit is with meGod is trustworthy and faithfulWhen I pray, I actively think about the God to whom I’m praying. In pondering his character, my mind is calmed and peace fills my heart. I realized that I got caught up in the world’s standards and frustrated by things that are out of my control. But God…He is in control. How do I pray for fear and anxiety? For how to pray about fear and anxiety, I recommend starting with scripture. Find a Bible story or a Bible verse about fear that stands out to you. Psalm 34 and Psalm 91 are good places to start. In your prayer, read each verse out to the Lord and then pray about that verse. Keep following that pattern until you run out of verses. When you pray about fear and anxiety, consider praying about God’s strength and peace. Instead of asking for your circumstances to change, ask him to grant you strength, courage, and peace. Read over the verses where God promises us these things in scripture and pray them back to God. John 16:33 (ESV) “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” You can also find a published prayer or printable about fear and anxiety. Sometimes when we are overwhelmed with fear, it can be hard to find the right words to pray. I’ve included a printable (How to Remove Fear from Mind and Heart PDF + Prayer) at the end of this post with a prayer to recite when you are dealing with fear. Lastly, praise God! Fear can sometimes take over when we have our focus on the wrong things. Instead of worrying about work, finances, relationships, and all of the things that we can’t control, concentrate on God instead. Think about how He has shown His love to you and all that He is doing in your life. Praise Him for his character and steadfast love. 📷

4. Overcoming Fear in Life by Living by Faith When I break down my fears, I find that they are caused by one of three things: the unknown, uncertainty, or a disconnect between what God has told me and what the world’s wisdom says. This fourth strategy for how to remove fear from the mind and heart deals specifically with the last cause. The world’s wisdom is enticing. It’s popular, it’s accepted, and a lot of people follow it. But God doesn’t follow the world’s wisdom. He asks us to walk out on faith and go against the conventional wisdom to follow Him. Hebrews 11:1 says that “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (ESV).

My Story: Step Four to Overcoming Fear Once I prayed about being a writer to God, He spoke to me. God told me to sign up for a writer’s conference for Christian writers of fantasy and science fiction. It was a huge investment, expensive, and I’d have to take time off of work. It was days away, I had not prepared any of the materials that I would need, and I had a full load at work. I went with the conventional wisdom. I listened to the world and didn’t sign up for the conference. But God spoke to me again. He showed me in a dream that I was being held back by fear and not living in the victory of Christ. He would take care of the details, I only needed to obey and walk by faith. How do Christians overcome fear and anxiety? Like with my story, Christians overcome fear and anxiety by choosing to walk by faith. Walking by faith is trusting what we can’t see, which is that God will work things out according to his plan, purpose, and promises. It’s deciding to trust God instead of the world’s wisdom. It’s letting God take control instead of forcing our own plans. To remove fear from the mind and heart, we must cling to God’s promises, remembering that He is faithful even when we are not. Kara J Lovett Co. God has called us to live by faith–meaning we may not always see but we must still believe. Report ad Bible Characters who Overcome Fear As the first few Bible verses in Hebrews 11 state, faith is extremely important to the Christian faith. In the rest of the chapter, the author of Hebrews outlines the walk of faith for many Bible characters who overcame fear. The stories in the Bible about fear that I mentioned above are only the start of the story. Abraham Overcame Fear: He left his homeland to live in the promised land. He offered Isaac up as a sacrifice.Sarah Overcame Fear: She gave birth to Isaac in her old age.Joseph Overcame Fear: He was sold into salvery by his brothers, and later rose up to become one of the most powerful leaders in Egypt.Moses Overcame Fear: He chose to be mistreated with God’s people instead of receiving the Pharaoh’s blessings.The Israelites Overcame Fear: They crossed the Red Sea to leave Egypt.Joshua Overcame Fear: The walls of Jericho came tumbling down after they marched around it for seven days.Rahab Overcame Fear: She welcomed the spies, and thus did not perish with the city.The rest of Hebrews 11 has a list of other Bible characters that overcame fear and chose to walk by faith. Faith is how we can remove fear from our minds and hearts.

5. Letting it Go: How to Push Through Fear

My last strategy for overcoming fear is learning how to push through fear. We have to make the conscious decision to let go of fear and no longer let it control us. Take the fear and measure it up against God’s goodness, greatness, and abounding love. Kara J Lovett Co. Sometimes we can’t wait for the fear to dissipate before we move. God knows when we are fearful or scared. He still asks us to walk by faith. He still speaks to us. He still uses us for His purposes and glory. God does all of this despite our fear. So even if our fear is there, we can still move. We can still obey God.

My Story: Step Five to Overcoming Fear My story ends here where, even though I was still plagued by fear, I signed up for the writer’s conference. I trusted the Lord with my finances, my time, my work, and my novels, and I went to the conference even though conventional wisdom told me not to. I realized that no matter what happened at the writers conference that weekend, God is good. By letting go of fear, I was able to remove fear from my mind and heart and obey God’s calling on my life. Overcoming the Spirit of Fear So the day that I’m a published author hasn’t come yet. While my fear still resurfaces from time to time, I hold tightly to God’s promises, remember his faithfulness and character, and persevere and endure as I wait. I wait for the words He has given me as a writer to reach the world. That may look different than how I imagined it. It may take longer than I want it. Or it may happen very differently than I thought. But this I know, He is faithful to His promises. He is greater than any fear and He will accomplish His sovereign will in us and through us.