Written by Kat W.
“Those who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children. For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God’s children, and by the Spirit’s power we cry out to God, ‘Father! my Father!’ God’s Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:14-16)
This devotional is to encourage and grow the faith of those struggling with fear. 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 fear today! 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’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.
Your fears should not control you. Fear has the potential to keep you from actually doing what God has called you to do. When we choose fear over faith, it makes us skeptical, we’re afraid of trying anything new. It makes us selfish, we’re afraid to commit to God and to others. It makes us blind to reality, we focus on the past and not on the future.
We all know that having faith all the time is not easy. This world we live in is fallen and broken. When that opportunity for faith comes into our heart, the enemy speaks lies into our life, which keep us from having faith. That is why it is important to always be right with God and constantly checking your heart if you are living in fear or by God’s truth. But God is asking you to do something greater than you’ve ever done before: He’s asking you to depend on him completely. Don’t you think that’s going to feel a little bit scary? Of course it is. And when God asks something of us, you and I have a choice to make. Are you going to fall back on your fear and stay the way that you are? Or are you going to uproot your fear and step forward in faith?
Download the FREEDOM FROM ANXIETY + FEAR devotional
At the end of the day, we have a choice to make. Stop focusing on your fear. Focus on your Father. Ask God for help. The solution to fear is the truth that you’re no longer a slave but a child of God. Being a child of God changes everything. You’re part of a family now. And families take care of one another. You’re part of God’s family, and God takes care of his children. He has your back. Knowing you’re a child of the Creator of the universe changes everything. Call out to Him and pray.
Jesus understands our fears and temptations; the Bible says he was tempted in all the same ways we are, but he did not sin. He knows exactly what your going through, and He is right there with you. Because Jesus “understands every weakness of ours” (Hebrews 4:15) the Bible says we can have “confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it” (Hebrews 4:16).
I want to encourage and remind you of how close God is to you, and how much He loves you. He made a way for you to have direct access to Him at any moment. All He is asking from you is to trust Him completely. There was a time I thought I trusted God until something difficult came up in life. Ask yourself if the reason you have fear in certain areas is maybe, because those are the areas your not completely trusting God in.
There is no room for fear and anxiety when we truly know and trust in who God says He is. We need to study and read the Bible to know Him, and also spend time in prayer talking and listening to Him. God is sovereign, that means He has complete rule and reign over everything! We know that God is working all things out for our good, if we love God and are following the commands of Jesus (Romans 8:28). If we truly believed this we would be immediately filled with God’s perfect true peace. Make the choice to face the future expecting God to be with you and that His goodness and His mercy will follow you all the days of your life.
Verses against fear:
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”-Isaiah 41:10
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”-Psalm 56:3
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”-Joshua 1:9
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”-Isaiah 41:13
“The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”-Psalm 118:6
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”-1 John 4:18
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”-Psalm 23:4
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”-1 Peter 5:7
“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”-Proverbs 29:25
“The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?”-Psalm 27:1
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”-2 Timothy 1:7
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”-Deuteronomy 31:6
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”-Psalm 34:4
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”-John 14:1
“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”-Romans 8:15
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”-Matthew 10:29-31
“So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”-Hebrews 13:6