By Julie Lavender
I'm honored to have a story included in Refresh Bible Study Magazine that talks about tapping into God's POWER to conquer fear. Please enjoy some of my post below, but then check out the entire article in the free, online magazine published by Lighthouse Bible Studies, by clicking here.
NO FEAR ALLOWED – BRING ON THE POWER:
An Acronym to Chase
Away Fear
P – PRAY. God says in Philippians 4:6 (NIV), “Do
not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
O – OBEY GOD. God instructs me NOT to fear. He
commands me not to be anxious. I can decide to obey God. I can be obedient to His
word. Instructions in 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) tell me, “Give all your worries and
cares to God, for he cares about you.” That’s not a suggestion—it’s a command.
Psalm 55:22 (NIV) similarly tells me, “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will
sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” And then there’s one of my favorite commands,
Joshua 1:9 (ESV), “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not
be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you
wherever you go.”
W – WORSHIP GOD FOR WHO HE IS. My God can be
trusted. He is the Savior of the world. He’s never left me nor forsaken me
(Deuteronomy 31:8). Isaiah 41:10 (ESV) promises, “Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I
will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
E – ERASE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS; DWELL ON POSITIVE ONES.
Psalm
34:4 (NIV) tells me, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me
from all my fears.” My fears are gone, and I can dwell on the positive.
Philippians 4:8 (NIV) demonstrates where my mind should be instead: “Finally,
brothers and sisters, 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.”
R – REST IN HIS PROMISES. After I pray giving my cares to God, I make a choice to obey God’s command not to fear,
verbalized my trust in Him, and erased my negative thoughts to dwell on the
positive ones, I rested in His promises.
Remember, you can find the whole article here.
What about you? What helps you during times of fear or uncertainty?
Love this message! Praying and asking God to help calm me definitely helps during times of fear and/or uncertainty. Prayer is powerful.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, It's a lesson I have to remind myself often! Sometimes, my head recognizes that I shouldn't fear, but my heart takes just a little bit longer to catch up! But, God is always good; God is always in control, and God can calm my fears when I turn to Him! Thanks for commenting!
DeleteEach time I hear this message, I grow to love it just a little bit more Ms. Julie. I don't know if it was recorded, but when you read this article and led the discussion around it a few weeks ago, you brought it to life ma'am. I join you in singing the praises of Refresh Bible Study Magazine and the blessings this free resource brings. Let us live with P-O-W-E-R!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, J.D.! Your words are very kind. I love knowing that God never ever leaves me and that I can trust Him to calm my fears. I'll admit, there are times that my head knows that and my heart takes longer to "catch on," but God is always faithful, and I know I can trust Him for my good!! Blessings, friend!
ReplyDelete