Written by Kat W.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
My prayer is that this devotional encourages you to grow your faith in Christ Jesus. It is only when you fully trust God, truly know and believe who He is and says He is, knowing what you were created for, then and only then will there be no room for fear.
So ask yourself: What do you fear? Do you trust God? Do you know God? Does God know you? Pray before you continue reading, and really seek the Holy Spirit to begin softening any hard places of your heart. God wants you to be free from all fear today!
We can all relate to experiencing fear in one form or another. It’s a normal emotion, of human nature, just like grief or anger. You don’t ever say to yourself, “I think I need to feel afraid.” You don’t have to plan it; fear just happens. We fear losing people, possessions, or even our positions, experiencing physical pain, and we fear failure. I could have, I should have, I would have, I didn’t, I’m not, I failed.
Fear contradicts faith. While fear says, “If this happens, I won’t be okay,” faith says, “Come what may, I’ll be okay because of God.”
The Lord seems further away when your heart is filled with fear. When you rely completely on your own self and what you can do, at the end of the day you begin to realize that it’s not nearly enough to sustain you. Fear can flood your heart.
But fear has no place in the life of a Christian. A fearful, anxious response is never from God. Romans 8:15 reminds us, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.” Out with fear and in with faith!
How? The antidote for fear is the promise of God’s presence. God is with you. “He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we should confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me,’” (Hebrews 13:5–6)? Let the calm, strong assurance of this precious promise settle into your soul. That God is always with you; therefore, you have nothing to fear.
The One who knows the end from the beginning, who knit you together and who knows you intimately with all your ways (Psalm 139:3,13), has made many promises. Each promise is for you! When fear creeps in, cling to this: God is with you. You have nothing to fear.
Prayer to Release Fear:
Father, when I fear, help me to cling to Your promise that You will never leave me nor forsake me. Help me to speak and live fearlessly because You are with me. I am never alone. Your promise stands, spoken over and over again in Your Word and satisfying Your followers throughout thousands of years—You are with me. I commit this truth to my heart right now. May this simple, profound truth sustain me today. In the power of Your name, amen.
Verses of Peace to Guard Your Heart from fear:
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
“The Lord gives strength to his people, the Lord blesses his people with peace.”Psalm 29:11
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
“Cast all your anxiety on Him ` he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16
“…the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things…and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9
“For He Himself is our peace…” Ephesians 2:14
“The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26