Releasing Fears

Unresolved fear is debilitating. It is a trap and if left unchecked, fear becomes a prison sentence. Fear robs you of intimate relationship with God and people. It robs you of faith, opportunity, spiritual growth and excellence of communication. Fear is a jailer; it will not allow you to go beyond your narrow cell. Fear is a lie, which if believed, causes you to live as a helpless victim.

However, God wants you to know that there is no lock on the cell door. Here is the truth of the matter: as a child of God you were not given a spirit of fear but, at the moment of salvation, you were given the Spirit of power, love and a sound mind. Jesus unlocked the jail cell door and He gave you the responsibility and the power to walk through that unlocked jail cell of fear into freedom.

Now is the time to address the bondage of fear in order for you to live your life in Christ, in victory and in power. You do not need to live another day trapped needlessly in the cell of fear. The first step is to believe the truth from God's word and to reject the lies you have believed. Begin by reading and thinking about the scriptures below. Underline key words and phrases. Meditate on those scriptures that speak to your heart.

Scriptures on Fear

Isaiah 41:10 — "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."

Romans 8:37-38 — "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 — "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Philippians 4:4-9 — "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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. 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. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

2 Timothy 1:7 — "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of sound mind."

1 Peter 5:7 — "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

1 John 4:18 — "But perfect love drives out fear."

Questions for Reflection

Having just read the scriptures and with them fresh in your mind, answer these questions:

1. How do the attitudes in the scriptures differ from my attitude? Is the action mentioned different from what I am doing now? How so?
2. What is the root cause of my fear? Example: I fear surgery. Is it because I am getting a tumor that would require surgery (possible situation)?

Prayer Before Listing Your Fears

Before listing your fears, pray aloud the following prayer from your heart:

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You that You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. I trust in You, and Your wonderful provision for me. I ask You, Jesus, to guard my mind, emotions and body as I surrender myself to You. I choose the truth that Your love drives out fear. I now ask You to bring to my mind any fear and the root cause for its presence in my life so that I may choose to confess it, and release it to You. Amen.

Checklist of Fears

Check all the fears that apply to you and list any other specific fears that the Lord brings to mind:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of Satan
• Fear of divorce
• Fear of death
• Fear of not being loved by God
• Fear of the future
• Fear of confrontation
• Fear of going crazy
• Fear of disapproval
• Fear of embarrassment
• Fear of rejection
• Fear of financial problems
• Fear of being victimized by crime
• Fear of the unknown
• Fear of illness
• Fear of loss of control
• Fear of being hurt
• Other specific fears that the Lord brings to mind

Actual or Imagined?

As I look at this list, am I fearful because of an actual situation or is the fear based on a possible situation without fact? Whether I am fearful because of an actual situation or a possible situation without fact, it must be renounced.

Confess and Renounce Each Fear

Confess and renounce each fear one at a time by praying aloud the following prayer:

Lord Jesus, I confess and repent of the fear of [name the fear]. I have believed [state the lie]. I renounce my participation in giving fear a place in my emotions and mind. I surrender this fear to You and choose to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Heavenly Father, I ask that You replace this fear with Your peace that surpasses all understanding to guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

Now you can determine daily to fear only the Lord and to live your life choosing God's truth.

In order to re-train your mind to reject fear and to claim God's power, love and sound mind, practice praying Philippians 4:4-9 daily as new concerns come.

Next week's topic: Life in Christ: A Walk of Humility