Your fears and mine exist mostly in our minds. The type of fears I’m referencing are the kind of outlandish things that grow to be larger than life in your head and never become a reality. I’m talking about the kind of fears that turn a good idea into a fleeting thought before the ink can even dry on the paper where you were creating this genius plan. This is the type of fear carefully crafted by the enemy.
You Can Face Your Fears
When you decide to look fear in the eye and recognize who’s behind all this nonsense, you’re going to get mad. You’ll be mad because once again the enemy has insulted your intelligence, trying to make you doubt God and His promises.You’ll be mad because this type of fear keeps you from moving in the direction of the things God has purposed you to do. Sometimes that’s just what it takes to break free from the paralysis of fear.
Priscilla nails the point here: “Anytime I begin seeing that the only thing keeping me from receiving everything God wants to give me is the fear tactic the enemy is using against me–it makes me mad. I start feeling a holy indignation rolling up over my shoulders and picking me up from behind. Because if he’s working that hard to keep me from moving forward, there must be some blessing or beauty from heaven he’s trying to divert me from. And I’m just not having it, not anymore, not from him. I hope you’re not either,” (Fervent, 109).
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
First Things First–Pray!
Your fears will come in many shapes, sizes and variations; the enemy is crafty like that. He will disguise fear as doubt, anxiety, stress, nerves, jitters, pain (real or perceived), the list goes on and on. Remove the mask of fear by going to God in prayer. Pray first, not as a last resort.
“Prayer is a reminder to yourself, as well as a declaration to the enemy, that you know he’s there. That you’re on to him. When you bring your concerns and fears and irritations to the Lord in prayer, you’re aligning your weakling spirit with the full force of God’s Holy Spirit,” (Fervent, 44).
Building a prayer habit will change the way you face your fears. Why? Because when you pray habitually, you won’t find yourself only praying in times of crisis. You will be in the habit of continually communicating with God through prayer.
What would you do if you weren’t afraid? I can’t promise you that you won’t be afraid but I know without a doubt that God knows what your fears are and He will help you to move through them, over them or around them to get to where He has planned for you to be.
Don’t feed the fears!
When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You.
In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid.
What can mere man do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4)
Next Week
For Monday, read Strategy 7: Your Purity (pages 119-131)
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