Do fear and anxiety control you?
12/18/24
I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
Bite-size Version
- God gave me the hymn “The Lord is my light” to sing and meditate on this week.
- As I reflect on the hymn, it truly challenges me to examine my heart and my faith.
- I ask myself, “Do I believe and live according to what this hymn says?”
- God has blessed me with breakthroughs in overcoming fear and growing in faith this year.
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Fear. Until this year I didn’t know how much fear controlled me. I didn’t know I was an anxious person or that I reacted to circumstances out of fear.
Power of Prayer: After a counseling session where I listed all possible fears and prayed over them, confessing and claiming God’s promise in 2 Timothy 1:7, I experienced a significant breakthrough. Reflecting on what happened, I realize that I gave God access to my heart in a way I hadn’t before. By surrendering my fears, God broke the devil’s bondage and established a connection with Him that transformed my feelings and thoughts. Now, peace has become the norm instead of fear and pain.
I didn’t feel an immediate change, but each subsequent day I noticed my response to life’s trials and tests was different. I experienced an amazing level of freedom, peace, and joy. I was able to handle life by trusting more in God’s love and power than in my limited abilities and wisdom. Holding His hand and being led by Him through each trial has brought me immense joy.
I used to become very anxious and agitated whenever we went on trips, whether for a weeklong retreat or a weekend event. The stress would escalate to a feverish pitch, and I would often tell my family that I wasn’t going because I had reached my threshold of stress and couldn’t bear the thought of going. I would frequently say negative things and isolate myself to cope with the pain and anxiety. It’s strange to write about it now because it’s hard to remember just how bad it was for me. I feel like I’m writing about someone else. It’s incredible how God is healing and transforming me. When we go on trips now, I am able to prepare for the trip with peace. It is a huge breakthrough for me.
I am being vulnerable and sharing my journey with you because I want you to know that God is real and can profoundly impact your life if you let His love flow into the deepest parts of your heart. I still have much to learn and a lot of character development ahead of me, but I am encouraged by what God is doing.
This hymn speaks to the journey I have been on: from being afraid to trusting in Him, from focusing on my problems to realizing and recognizing how big God is compared to them.
Hymn: The Lord is my light
The Lord is my light; then why should I fear?
By day and by night His presence is near;
He is my salvation from sorrow and sin;
This blessed persuasion the Spirit brings in
Refrain
The Lord is my light, my joy, and my song;
By day and by night He leads me along;
The Lord is my light, my joy, and my song;
By day and by night He leads me along.
2
The Lord is my light; though clouds may arise,
Faith, stronger than sight, looks up to the skies
Where Jesus forever in glory doth reign:
Then how can I ever in darkness remain?
3
The Lord is my light, the Lord is my strength;
I know in His might I’ll conquer at length;
My weakness in mercy He covers with power,
And, walking by faith, He upholds me each hour.
4
The Lord is my light, my all and in all;
There is in His sight no darkness at all;
He is my Redeemer, my Savior and King;
With saints and with angels His praises I sing.
***If this is a new song for you, listen to it on YouTube. ****
PERSONAL CHALLENGE: How about you? Do you know what causes you to be afraid and anxious? Have you prayed about it? I invite you to write a list of your fears and ask God to break their power in your life. Find Bible verses that break the power of the lies you have believed. If you would like to see a detailed list of possible fears, let me know. I can also share my list of Bible verses.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Pray for our community outreach. Christmas is celebrated in Thailand but many people don’t understand what it means. It is an opportunity for us to share about Jesus.
- We have opportunities to share about Jesus with songs and stories. Please pray for God to guide us on what to say and do.
- Pray for the Holy Spirit to move upon the hearts of people to hear God’s love for them personally. We are asking God to help us be vulnerable and share our stories of how God is changing us.
“Heavenly Father, I praise You for who You are. You reveal Yourself to us through Your many names. You are my light, my joy, my song, my salvation, my strength, my Redeemer, my Savior, my King, my help, my freedom. During this Christmas season, we ask that You would teach us how to share Your love with others. Even though it has its roots in paganism and commercialism, I believe that Jesus can still shine and be glorified. Please pour out Your Holy Spirit upon the people we speak to, open their hearts and minds, forgive their sins. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
#lovevangelism #twentyfour #miracle #prayer