Analyse your fear under God’s authority and guidance
Begin by praying the following prayer out loud:
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You as Your child and I put myself under Your protective care. Thank You that You love me so much. I confess that I have been fearful and anxious because of my unbelief and lack of trust. I have not always lived by faith in You and too often I have relied on my own strength and resources (Proverbs 3:5-6). I thank You that I am forgiven in Christ.
I choose to believe the truth that You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound judgment/mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Therefore I renounce any spirit of fear. I ask You to reveal to me mind all the fears that have been controlling me. Show me how I have become fearful and the lies I have believed. I desire to live a responsible life in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Show me how these fears have kept me from doing that. I ask this so that I can confess, renounce and overcome every fear by faith in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
The following list may help you recognize some of your fears.
- Fear of Satan
- Fear of divorce
- Fear of death
- Fear of not being loved by God
- Fear of never being loved
- Fear of not being able to love others
- Fear of marriage
- Fear of rejection by people
- Fear of never getting married
- Fear of never having children
- Fear of disapproval
- Fear of embarrassment
- Fear of failure
- Fear of financial problems
- Fear of going crazy
- Fear of being a hopeless case
- Fear of the death of a loved one
- Fear of the future
- Fear of confrontation
- Fear of being a victim of crime
- Fear of having committed the unpardonable sin
- Fear of specific people, animals, or objects
- Fear of other specific fears the Lord brings to mind
Write down below (in the blue box) the fears that apply to you, as well as any others not on the list that the Spirit of God has revealed to you.
The root of any unhealthy fear is a belief that is not based in truth. These false beliefs need to be rooted out and replaced by the truth of God’s Word. Take as much time in prayer as you need to discern these lies, because renouncing them and choosing the truth is a critical step towards gaining and maintaining your freedom in Christ. You have to know and choose to believe the truth in order for it to set you free. Write down the lies you have believed for every fear and the corresponding truth from the Word of God.
Ways you have been living under the control of feaThe next step is to determine how fear has prevented you from living a responsible life, compelled you to do live irresponsibly, or compromised your Christian witness. After you have gained the necessary insights into your fear, it is time to experience God’s cleansing through confession and repentance (1 John 1:9, Proverbs 28:13). Confession is agreeing with God that what you did was sinful. Repentance is the choice to turn away from sin and to change your way of thinking. Express the following prayer for each of the controlling fears that you have analysed above:
Dear Lord,
I confess and repent of the fear of
I now choose to live by faith in You, Lord. Your promise that You will protect me and meet all my needs as I live by faith in You (Psalm 27:1; Matthew 6:33-34). In Jesus’ trustworthy name. Amen.
After working through every fear the Lord has revealed to you (including their accompanying lies and sinful behavior), then pray the following prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank You that You are indeed trustworthy. I choose to believe You, even when my feelings and cirumstances tell me to fear. You have told me not to fear, for You are with me, not to look about me anxiously, for You are my God. You will strengthen me, help me, and surely uphold me with Your righteous right hand. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen (Isaiah 41:10).
Work out a plan of responsible behavior
The next step is to face the fear and prayerfully work out a plan to overcome it.
Determine in advance what your response will be to any fear object
The fear of God is the one fear that can dispel all other fears, because God rules supreme over every other fear object, including Satan. Even though “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8), he has been defeated. “Having disarmed the powers and authorities, [Jesus] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15).
The presence of any fear object should prompt us to focus on God who is always present and all powerful. To worship God is to acknowledge and ascribe to Him His divine attributes. This keeps fresh in our minds the truth that our loving Heavenly Father is always with us and is more powerful than any enemy or circumstance.
Commit to carrying out the plan of action in the power of the Holy Spirit
Remember, you are never alone in the battle. “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).