All Knowing God, help me in my fight against the forces of fear and worry. They pursue me in order to paralyze me from doing what I should … stir up my emotions … and separate me from Your loving care. I have many reasons why I worry and fear: Being abandoned and left to fend for myself … feeling inadequate and unable to live up to what is expected of me … being a failure and letting others down … the unknown and not being able to control my circumstances or my future … impending or imagined dangers … a false belief that something will go wrong … and, Your not having an inclination to help me or come to my defense. It seems foolish to think that way but fear and worry make what I feel seem real. I know that fear and worry show the weakness of my faith, but they always seem to know when I am weakest and most vulnerable. To lose sight of You is to lose hope and become their prey. When I live with fear and worry, my life is dark and I feel helpless. I run from shadows not knowing where I go.
My antidote for fear is faith in You and Your Word. When fear comes in like a thief in the night, I should not forget Your promise to be my shield and covering and that Your power will save me from my adversaries. I must trust that nothing can hinder You from acting on my behalf. You are my light and my salvation, in whom shall I fear? You assure me that You will never leave me or forsake me and that where I go, You will go with me … so why do I become fearful? When I stop to think about it, I have nothing to gain and everything to lose if I give in to fear. Your Word tells me that You have not given me a spirit of fear but one of love, power and a sound mind. If I believe that my steps are ordered of You, I have no reason to fear. You have given me a Helper, in the form of the Holy Spirit, to strengthen and encourage me when fear comes knocking at my door. When I encounter trials … I will not be fearful … realizing that they are meant to drive me away from sin and towards You.
When worry tries to sneak in, when I leave the door to my mind unattended, I will count on You to “have my back”. My strategy will be to tackle each day one at a time … taking on only those things I can change today. Instead of expending energy worrying, I will apply myself to dealing with the issues of the day and doing what I can to further my life. I will reject worry because I know You created me and I can trust You with the details of my life. If I allow myself to become worried, it will hamper my efforts to move forward. I have come to realize that worry is harmful to me and, when I worry, I cannot add a single hour to my life. When I worry, it thwarts my ability to pursue the things You want. When I worry, it shows my lack of faith and understanding of who You are. I know that living one day at a time and trusting in Your love will help me in my quest to overcome fear and worry. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
I John 4:18 There is no fear in love because perfect love casts out fear …