How do we defeat doubt and fear when it seems like we’ve been surrounded by dark circumstances, bad reports or are just faced with what seems like pure evil?
That’s what we’re going to talk about today on Abide in Jesus.
Welcome back, if you’re new here, I’m Carolyn.
Paralyzing Fear
My husband had left for his graveyard shift at work, the kids were upstairs asleep, and I’d nestled onto the living room couch for some much-needed time alone. When all of the sudden, I was just gripped with such a paralyzing fear. It was like pure evil was in the room with me.
I couldn’t speak, couldn’t even move, so I called out to Jesus in my mind, “Jesus help me!”
And without me even thinking about, words from a scripture I’d memorized came pouring out of my mouth. I felt the evil receded, the fear lift, and I felt the Lord’s peace.
I can’t tell you exactly what happened that night, but I can tell you that Jesus helped me overcome paralyzing fear.
David as an Example
1 Samuel 30:6 in the NKJV says, Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
When David was greatly distressed, he strengthened himself in the Lord, some versions say David encouraged himself in the Lord.
You can see how he may have done this when you read the Psalms of David.
One of the things He did when he wrote those Psalms, was he poured out his heart to God about what was troubling him, but then he declared how Great God is and God’s promises to him.
He acknowledged his fear, his anger, his distress, but then gave his heart and focus to what God had said, and who God was.
So how do we do that for ourselves?
We first Put God’s scripture regarding our situations in front of our eyes. The promises God speaks to our hearts in our devotions or that come up in front of us time and time again. You know, the one that you read, and the next Sunday your pastor uses it in a sermon?
Look at that scripture or scriptures, more than once. Keep them in front of you.
Memorize them, write them down where you see them every day, put them on posts it notes. Do whatever you need to do, whatever works for you to keep those scriptures in front of you.
Acknowledge Your Feelings
When you come to the Lord, acknowledge how you are feeling, acknowledge your doubts, your fear, your pain and your hurt, and tell God about it. But don’t stay there.
Lift those things into God’s hands through prayer and look at that scripture again.
Declare the truth of Who God is. How great He is, that He is not a man that he should lie.
Declare God’s Word
Declare the truth of what His Word says
And pray that Word back to God.
Wage the Good Warfare
1 Timothy 1:18 in the NKJV says, This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,
Do you have a promise from God?
Do you have word that the Lord keeps giving you from people who don’t even know each other?
Is there a verse that keeps coming to your heart?
Then wage war in prayer with those scriptures.
Don’t just come to God and tell him everything that is wrong!
Come to Him with His word and His promises
We can Ask for Help
And if there are places where you’ve been giving place to doubt and fear, repent for that. Simply say,
Lord, I repent for believing that you wouldn’t come through for me more than I believed your promises, help me to not doubt or be in fear anymore, but help me to believe what you say more than I believe the circumstances around me. In Jesus name I pray.
Take up the promises and words given to you.
Wage war with them
Strengthen yourself in the Lord with them.
When you do these things, you will defeat doubt and fear in that area of your life, and you will be walking by faith and not by sight. You will find that while you wait for God to move in those situations, instead of being in doubt, fear and anxiety, you will find you have the peace of God that passes all understanding.
