I’m Afraid and I Shouldn’t Be: 3 Ways to Overcome Fear
As I wrote about previously, my husband had a major medical issue last Saturday morning. He’s doing fine now and we’re believing God that it will never happen again. But I’ve been afraid all week, and I shouldn’t be.
I’ve been afraid of leaving him alone. Afraid I will come back into the room and find him unconscious–or worse–on the floor. These fears are not from God, however. God has delivered me from a life of fear, and He can deliver me from this situational fear as well. So today, I’m writing about how God is helping me kick this nasty fear to the curb, and about how you can get rid of your secret fears too.
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A few years ago, someone spoke an unholy prophecy over my life that I was going to die.
My pastor told me it wasn’t from God, but I wasn’t mature enough at that time to disregard and reject the prophecy. It terrified me.
I was scared for weeks after that happened. I was so afraid that I kept my Bible with me all the time and tried to read it in every spare moment, just to fill my thoughts with something other than fear of dying. It was a consuming fear; such an evil thing that had been put upon me. Fear is NEVER from the Lord!
I remember when God healed me of that fear.
(Click here for the story about how God delivered me from fear permanently a few years after that.)
I was sitting in my car in the parking lot at Old Navy. I was so afraid that I was about to die. I grabbed my Bible, opened to Psalm 91, and started reading. This psalm comforted me. When I got to verses 15-16, which say:
“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.”
I felt those words jump off the page into my heart. God was speaking them directly to me. I breathed deeply and felt rest come into my mind and emotions. I reclined the seat in my car, put the Bible under my head (open to Psalm 91), laid my head down on that passage and went to sleep. 🙂
God delivered me from the fear of that prophecy, and He gave me rest.
This morning, in my quiet time, I went back to Psalm 91. And precious Papa God–bless His beautiful heart–spoke to me again.
He showed me three things. If you will also grab hold of these things, they will help you get rid of your secret fears too:
1. Admit that you’re afraid, acknowledge that fear is a problem, and ask God to make you perfect in love.
The first thing I did this morning in my time with the Lord was to admit that I was afraid, and that I knew the fear was not from God. First John 4:18 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.”
So I asked God to take the fear away, and make me perfect in love.
A lot of our problems never get solved because we never admit we have them. If you are dealing with fear, please start by just getting alone with God and admitting your fear. Tell Him you know this fear is not from Him, and ask Him to take it away and make you perfect in love.
2. Speak the Word over yourself.
Psalm 91:2 says, “I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
I will SAY. Speaking the Word over yourself and your family is so important. God watches over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). When you speak His Word out loud over yourself, you come into agreement with it in faith, and God will fulfill it according to your faith. God’s word in your mouth is just as powerful as God’s Word in His mouth.
Related: Go here to print my Blessing for a Family in Hard Times, and speak it over yourself often!
3. Get a rhema word, pray into it, and thank God for it.
A “rhema” word is the thing God is speaking to you right now about your exact situation.
My rhema word this morning was Psalm 91. The whole passage spoke to me, but especially this part:
“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.”
The word “him” kept jumping off the page at me. God knew I was afraid about him–my husband–and God was speaking directly to me about my husband. This is my rhema word.
So I grabbed hold of that word. I prayed into it and thanked God for it. As I did, faith rose up in my spirit and God gave me rest.
God’s rhema word will counteract the enemy’s plan every time. {Tweet this!}
If you will ask God to speak to you about your situation, and then start reading the Word, He will speak. When He does, grab hold of His rhema word in faith. Pray into it and thank God for it.
As Pastor Bill Johnson says, “God’s name is the Word. It’s hard for Him not to have something to say.” 🙂
Related: 21 Days to the Manifest Presence of God: Hearing God Speak
What are you secretly afraid of?
I’ve confessed what I have been afraid of this week. But what fears are haunting you?
God wants to give you rest from your fears too. Fear is not from God. Fear is from the enemy.
So would you get alone with God, admit your fears, and ask Him to make you perfect in love? Would you speak God’s promises over yourself? Would you ask God to speak to you about your situation, and grab hold of His rhema word for you?
God has taken my fear for Bruce away through these three steps. If you will follow His prescription, God will heal you and take your fears away too.
Your Papa loves you and wants you to have perfect peace. Won’t you let Him heal you today?