For years I
diligently prayed against fear. I prayed fear would be far from me. That God
would protect me from fear. That fear would leave me alone.
Then I realized
that those prayers would require God to place me in a bubble, never interact
with people, and never leave my house.
Ahem.
Until Christ’s
return, fear will not leave this earth. One look at the headlines makes that
clear.
That’s when
it occurred to me that instead of praying against fear, my prayers should
shift.
And so, my
prayers changed. Drastically. And if you’re battling fear on any level or in
any area of your life, I’d like to invite you to do the same.
- Instead of praying that fear would be far from me, I asked God to give me a strong, bold, and very courageous heart (see Joshua 1:9) when fear came near.
- Instead of asking God to protect me from fear, I asked God to make my heart stout and enduring (see Psalm 27:14) when I felt exposed to fear.
- Instead of praying that fear would leave me alone, I prayed that I would never feel alone when I faced fear (see Isaiah 41:10) -- because I'm not, and neither are you.
And these
prayers, based on Scripture, have made a world of difference.
Filling our
minds and hearts with the truth is far more powerful than only praying against
something. Scripture is how Jesus overcame the devil when He was tempted in the
wilderness.
And when the fear-bully taunts us, praying
Scripture will strengthen our hearts, and we will overcome, too.
How about
you? Are you fighting fear? Which of these scriptures resonates most with you?
{Give-Away!} Today I'm linking up with the awesome Soli Deo Gloria sisters. And BONUS! Jen is giving away a signed copy of my book. Hurry over and visit her beautiful blog, Finding Heaven Today and enter for a chance to win!
{Give-Away!} Today I'm linking up with the awesome Soli Deo Gloria sisters. And BONUS! Jen is giving away a signed copy of my book. Hurry over and visit her beautiful blog, Finding Heaven Today and enter for a chance to win!
11 comments:
Julie, I chuckled when I read this post. Because just moments before, I'd been praying about fear that I'm experiencing. I just love the way God works. To speak to us right where we are. Right in the middle of what we are going through. Thanks for this post!
BethA
Haha, BethA! I LOVE when God does that! HE is flat-out awesome! :-)
Which verse resonates with me the most? All of them. Oh, to be bold and courageous, stout and enduring, to realize I am never alone. Fear can't help but flee when we know and dwell on these powerful Truths! Thanks for the timely, fabulous reminder this morning, Julie. Your posts are always a blessing to me. <3
The Word is the only offensive weapon we have in our spiritual armor. Nothing defeats fear better than God's truth! Thank you for the great references, Julie.
Julie: This is a great message and reminder of the sovereignty of GOD. All those scriptures resonated with me. The most powerful was this one:
Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10
I've been dealing with a lot of fear this past several months. Thank you for this message, Julie.
Good reminder, thank u!
Julie,
This is a very good take on fear and a practical way to combat it with Truth. Amen! Good word!
Love, Hester ;)
I don't know how you always know what is in my head and heart. Thank you for the scriptures and insight on how to pray about fear.
I need this book.It just speaks to a womans soul.
Julie, thank you for this post, I honestly had never thought about it that way, it makes so much sense. Have a blessed day. Tara.
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