The end of the week is almost here [at last, another bank holiday weekend] and I’m still buzzing from last Sunday’s message on fear. Fear in this current climate has almost become the norm; we’re bombarded with death tolls and constant reminders to stay at home where possible, leaving most of us [including myself] more worried, concerned and just uneasy. The verse which stood out to me during the service was Isaiah 43:2, ‘When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you’. Here, God was telling the Jewish people that He will be with them in their most troubling times, supporting them through and giving them the strength to move beyond. Applying this to my own life, I was reminded that God has promised never to leave me nor forsake me, no matter what life may throw my way. This led me to think more about my faith and how exactly I was going to use it to overcome my fears.

The night before the service, I had been doing a bible plan on the YouVersion app, called ‘dangerous prayers’ [100% recommend]. The message was about revealing our fears to God. Not simply the normal fears such as spiders, heights, or certain phobias etc; but the fears that keep us up at night, the things that ricochet in our mind and refuse to be quieted. This resonated with me on so many different levels. While this lockdown period has given me time to rest, it has also given me so much time to reflect [almost too much]. I’ve found myself thinking about career/finances/health… basically all things life. And with this came an overwhelming feeling of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of what direction my life is heading in, fear of failure. My prayer that night made me realise the fears I had were because I was trying to walk through life’s battles alone. There’s one thing knowing who God is, but to rely [be dependent] on Him and trust that He will lead us through the rollercoaster of life allow us to truly grow in faith. So… how to overcome fear with faith and live fearlessly for God. While on this journey, I’ve learnt some valuable lessons:

Firstly, spend time knowing God’s word. I think the most important way to start knowing God is through His word. It sets such a good foundation of choosing faith over fear. It’s our knowing what God’s word says, that gives us the courage to boldly stretch our faith in trusting God for the impossible.

John 1:1 “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God and the Word was God”

Also, obeying His word. Reading the word is one thing, but to commit ourselves to obey His word gives us confidence when we are confronted by fear. Fear can be paralysing, but faith is energising when we put God’s word into action. The more we step out in faith in obedience to the word of God with a pure heart, the more our faith grows in the Lord and we are less afraid of the unknown.

James 2: 22 “You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete”

And lastly, pray [with a whole dose of God-fidence]. Prayer really is the key that unlocks faith in our life. But for it to be powerful, it requires both the attitude of complete dependence and the action of asking. Through this we demonstrate our reliance on God and humbly invite him to fill us with faith and power. 

Psalms 34:4 “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears”