Overcome Fear: Day 1: Fear Not for God has redeemed us
Scripture: Isaiah 43:1: “But now, this is what the LORD says – he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine'”
Are You Letting Fear Hold You Back?
Fear has a huge influence on our lives and choices. By fear, I mean self-doubt, worries and anxiety. We all have fears, as fear is part of human nature-yet, sometimes fear is totally unfounded.
When we act in spite of fear, it often turns out that what we feared was not as bad as we had imagined. Sometimes what you fear is external, but it can also be a monster that you create yourself in your mind.
Don’t Delay
The experience of embracing fear increases our strength and confidence. We can overcome fear if we acknowledge that we are afraid, try to look at the situation from different perspectives, and take action.
Instead of confronting fear, we often make excuses in order to avoid facing that which frightens us. This is because we consider fear something negative as opposed to positive. If you are afraid of failure, you can change your way of looking at it, as there is no success without failure.
The more you fail, the closer you are to success. Remember that everyone who has succeeded in life has been afraid and overcome fear. So can you.
Fear may also be a reason for procrastination, such as delaying or putting things off until the last possible moment. Are you good at finding excuses for not doing all those things you know that you should do and that would actually be very good for you to do?
Then take a look at the examples below of common reasons for waiting, which may result in waiting until it is too late. Is this you?
Until I have children, until my children leave home, until I lose 10 pounds, until I gain 10 pounds, until I have more money, until I get a divorce, until I get married, until next year, until I retire, until summer, until spring, until winter, until autumn.
There are many benefits of breaking the habit of delaying things. It will give you a relaxed feeling and freedom of choice-so you can select your priorities and think about your next project in advance.
Try to identify what distractions are problematic and how they hold you back; for example, a need to check your email or mobile phone for messages. Breaking down bigger tasks into smaller ones can enable you to place greater focus on every task. Giving yourself small rewards when you accomplish things may also help you avoid procrastinating.
Another piece of advice is to make yourself feel good before you start doing what you have been putting off. Find something that you know will put you in a good mood.
Daily Devotions: Day 2
Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”
But, what happens when your fears begin to take over? Fear can control your life and keep you from following your dreams, prevent you from taking risks, and stop you from living the life that you want and doing the things which you desire. It doesn’t have to be this way! Fear can hold many people back, and one of the biggest mistakes that you might be making right now is taking your fear at face value.
What you need to understand is that fear can be both real and imagined, and it’s hard for your body and brain to differentiate between the two. Let’s look at two different situations to put this in perspective.
Much of our fear originates from what we learned when we were young. You learned to be careful, that you can’t do this or that, and to be aware of what other people will think.
However, just because people said things does not mean that they are true. The fears and doubts you have aren’t even yours. You can let go of your fears and remind yourself that you are perfect as you are and that you don’t need other people’s approval.
One way to handle fear is to write it down. Draw two columns on a sheet of paper. Write a plus sign above one of them and a minus sign above the other. Write down the advantages and disadvantages of the change or challenge you are facing.
When you are faced with a challenge, it is easy just to focus on risks. Is there any real risk or is it stepping out of the comfort zone that you fear? Remember all your previous challenges and fears. Did they change your life? Did you learn from them?
You need to ask yourself the following questions, When in my life have I faced fear and overcome it? What happened? When in my life have I faced fear and stopped myself? What happened?
One way of overcoming fear is to do what you are afraid of many times on a regular basis. This will make you feel relieved and proud of yourself, and strengthen your self-confidence.
For example, if you are afraid of speaking in front of a large group of people, you can overcome much of your fear by doing it many times. I realized this when I obtained a lectureship at a university.
You cannot be afraid of standing in front of students every day for many years. The fear and insecurity simply disappear over time.
Another good piece of advice when you are afraid of change is to take baby steps forward. Tiny steps are not frightening in the same way as big changes, yet you are changing. You could decide to do one little thing that frightens you every day, to overcome the fear that holds you back.
Another way to cure fear is to obtain sufficient knowledge about the situation that causes fear. What do you fear? Failure? Rejection?
I remember a student I had some years ago who was very afraid of many things in his studies and life. I asked him if he feared failure or success. I still remember very clearly what an eye-opener that question was for him. He had never thought about the fact that he could fear success, only failure. How about you?
Prayer Points
By the power in the name of Jesus, I refuse to fear, because God has not given me the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
I command the spirit of fear to disappear from my life in the name of Jesus Christ.
I break every evil covenant that has brought fear into my life, in the name of Jesus.
I command every terror of the night that has brought fear into my life to stop and move from my environment, in the name of Jesus.
You spirit of fear, loose your hold upon my life and my family, in the name of Jesus.
I command all human agents using the spirits of fear to terrify me in the night to stumble and fall, in the name of Jesus.
The fear and terror of the unbelievers shall not be my lot, in the name of Jesus.
All arrangements of the devil concerning my home shall not stand; neither shall they come to pass, in the name of Jesus.
I destroy all efforts of the enemy to frustrate my work, in the name of Jesus.
I nullify every writing, agreement or covenant against my work, in the name of Jesus.
Father Lord, increase my greatness and comfort me on every side, in the name of Jesus.
O Lord, as You delight in my prosperity, I pray that You bless me indeed in my work.
Let no household enemy be able to control my well-being any longer, in the name of Jesus.
Daily Devotions: Day 3:
Scripture: (Psalm 23:4): “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me”
Fear can be a product of two different things – it’s either due to reality, or a product of your imagination. In general, real fear will be felt by both you and others around you, and imagined fear will be personal to you alone. Imagined fear is generated by your beliefs and individual perspective of the world, which is why some people have fears which are completely incomprehensible to others.
For example, a person who fell into a lake as a small child may have a fear of water even into adulthood, whilst somebody who’s never had a scary experience with water could be a professional swimmer with absolutely no fear of scuba diving in the sea. This is because water in and of itself isn’t something to be fearful of, but your personal experience could make it scary for you.
In general, the fears which hold us back are these imagined fears which are personal to each and every one of us. Just because they’re imagined, however, doesn’t mean that they’re not real – they certainly feel very real to the person who is feeling them.
Conquering the fears which are holding you back relies on you getting down to the source. Discovering what causes your fears is key to facing them head on and taking control of your own life and happiness. Figuring out what you need to do to push your fears out of your life and no longer allow them to hold you back will involve putting everything into perspective and sifting out the irrational fears from the rational ones.
Why do we fear success? Doesn’t it seem a bit stupid? Don’t we all want to succeed? The fear of success is more widespread than you might think-and there may be many reasons for it.
You may fear the unknown or think you do not deserve the consequences and rewards of success. You may fear success because you believe it does not fit your own self-image or other people’s image of you. You may fear success because you are afraid other people will dislike it or envy you.
You may believe you are not worthy of success, or fear that the real you is stronger, more powerful and talented than you can handle. You may fear that you will be expected to perform at a higher level than before and face even greater challenges with the associated risk of falling flat on your face.
On the other hand, if you let fear hold you back from success you diminish your true self and allow fear to control your life.
You may also fear making a mistake or a wrong decision or choice. But instead of using the word wrong, you can look upon choices in another way, namely as good choices, the best or not the very best choices. In many cases, you won’t know until much later whether or not your choice was the best. However, you should bear in mind that you can always learn from a good or a less-good choice.
When you feel frightened, you are giving power to the fear. Fear, whether it is fear of failure, rejection or success, is so powerful that it can paralyze you. Don’t let fear do that and conquer you.
Ask yourself what you are afraid of: failure, rejection or success. Are you afraid of the feeling of failure, rejection or success-or of its outcome?
One way of handling a challenge is to think about courage instead of fear. When you do something in spite of your fear you are courageous. The word courage comes from the Latin word cor, meaning heart.
Courage is a habit you can learn through repetition, which implies facing the fear repeatedly. Courage is not the absence of fear, but resistance to fear.
It takes courage to step out of your comfort zone and face risks and challenges, to think big and to feel an inner joy of life. You feel safe in the comfort zone. You strive for security instead of opportunity when you are in your comfort zone.
You may also feel weak and helpless, considering that you are a victim of circumstances over which you have no control. Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the triumph over it, and reveals what you are truly capable of.
Courage enables you to face doubt and the criticism of other people. You can train your courage. The more often you are courageous and look fear in the face, the more courageous you will become. First of all, you may have to give yourself permission to be courageous and look upon yourself as a courageous person.
Prayer Points
My tomorrow is blessed in Christ Jesus, therefore, you spirit that is responsible for the fear of tomorrow in my life, I bind you, in the name of Jesus.
My destiny is attached to God, therefore I decree that I can never fail, in the name of Jesus.
Every bondage that I am subjecting myself to by the spirit of fear, I break you, in the name of Jesus.
All negative doors that the spirit of fear has opened in the past, be closed now, in the name of Jesus.
Every disease, oppression and depression that came into my life as a result of fear, disappear now, in the name of Jesus.
I refuse to be intimidated by any demonic nightmare, in the name of Jesus.
Every enchantment and invocation of fear being made against me, I neutralize you and I command you to fail, in the name of Jesus.
Every confederacy of the enemies in my home with the enemies outside shall not stand, in the name o f Jesus.
Daily Devotions: Day 4
Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7: “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 minds in Christ Jesus”
Don’t be anxious – instead pray, ask, give thanks, be guarded by God’s peace. Once you know where it is that your fears come from and how to deal with them, you’ll become a braver and stronger person. Fear and anxiety can severely hold you back, and taking the steps to gain control over them and no longer allow them to rule your life is a process which will take time, effort and patience – but it will all be worth it in the end.
Many fears are a product of your own mind, whether it be going to the dentist, flying in a plane, or public speaking. Some fears are caused by a bad or even traumatic past experience, whilst others can be the product of influence from other people.
However, no matter how your fears were established, conquering them is entirely possible when you use the right steps and strategies.
Before you begin, it’s vital to understand that you will need to be patient with yourself. Fear is an extremely strong emotion, and the ‘fight or flight’ response generated by chemicals and hormones in the body can lead to different physical responses which can make facing and conquering your fears extremely difficult.
Prayer Points
Let all those who are against me without a cause in my place of work turn back and be brought to confusion, in the name of Jesus.
I close every door through which the enemies have been working against my work, in the name of Jesus.
No weapon of satan and his agents fashioned against me shall prosper, in the name of Jesus.
My life is hid with Christ in God, therefore nobody can kill me or harm me, in the name of Jesus.
I open wide all doors leading to my blessings, victory and breakthroughs which the enemies have closed, in the name of Jesus.
Let every territorial spirit working against us in our neighborhood be frustrated, bound and cast out, in the name of Jesus.
Let every power contrary to the power of God operating to suppress people in my area be neutralized, in the name of Jesus.
I bind every spirit of frustration, defeat, delayed blessing and fear in my environment, in the name of Jesus.
I banish every enemy of progress in my neighborhood, in the name of Jesus.
I bind the spirit of death, armed robbery and assassination in my neighborhood, in the name of Jesus.
I reject, renounce and destroy every evil agreement or covenant in the environment, in the name of Jesus.
By the blood of Jesus, I nullify the effects and operation of evil forces around my house, in the name of Jesus.
Lord, get all my stubborn pursuers occupied with unprofitable assignments, in the name of Jesus.
In Jesus’ mighty name, I fire back every arrow, spiritual bullets and satanic missiles fired at me.
O Lord, reveal the secrets and expose all my enemies masquerading as my friends.
Father Lord, make it impossible for my enemies to use my foot marks, urine, faeces, hair, clothing, and shoes.
Daily Devotions: Day 5:
Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important… ? Look at the birds… your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow… Will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”
When you decide to conquer your fears, you need to be aware of what this entails – at some point; you will need to face them. Although the prospect of this is initially terrifying for many, by the time you are ready it won’t seem quite as bad. This is why it’s important to be patient with yourself and resolve to take small steps towards achieving your goal of fearlessness.
Being kind to yourself is crucial when you are learning to conquer your fears, although you’ll need to get a healthy balance between self-care and self-motivation. Finding the balance between the two will involve changing your mind-set to include more confidence in yourself and a kinder attitude towards yourself and your feelings. Many of us beat ourselves up for feeling fears that we deem irrational; it’s crucial that you stop doing this and instead accept your fears rather than trying to fight them.
Prayer Points
Lord Jesus, I thank You for saving me and cleansing away my sin at the cross
I confess with my mouth that I belong to You. You are Lord over my life.The devil has no power over me because I am cleansed and covered by Your precious blood
I now confess all of my sins, known and unknown. I repent of them now. I ask You Lord, to forgive me in the name of Jesus
Dear Lord, help me to overcome my fear of being single
I rebuke the spirit of loneliness over my life, in the name of Jesus
I bind the spirit of fear of being by myself, in the name of Jesus
You spirit of fear, loose your hold upon my life, in the name of Jesus
Every bondage that I am subjecting myself to by this fear, I break you, in the name of Jesus
I reject the spirit of fear, I receive from you Lord, the spirit of power, love and sound mind in Jesus name
O Lord, increase my faith and fill me with Your Spirit, in the name of Jesus.
Daily Devotions Day 6:
Scripture: Psalm 111:10: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding”
Accepting your fears is the crucial first step that you will need to take before trying any of the following strategies. Fighting a mental battle against yourself and your fears can make it significantly more difficult to gain any positive benefits from any of these strategies, which is why learning to be accepting is key. Learning to accept your fears can even create a sense of calm and positivity which you can’t gain from fighting them.
Take a deep breath, and tell yourself that you accept all of your fears – even the ones that you think are silly. Repeat this process as many times as you need throughout your journey to fearlessness!
Determining the source of your fears and anxieties is the first step that you will need to take in order to eventually be able to take control of your fears and manage them efficiently.
Knowing what is causing your fear is crucial to finding the solutions that you need, and at this point it is essential to prepare for some serious self-evaluation as well as the need to be completely honest with yourself.
You should also be aware that you may need to revisit some unhappy memories, therefore it’s vital to choose a time when you are feeling calm, relaxed and energized before you begin to explore the reasons for your fear.
Prayer Points
I break the power of evil remote control over my thought in the name of Jesus.
I seal off every doorway of evil uncontrollable thought in my life with the blood of Jesus in Jesus’ name.
I scatter into pieces every evil imagination against me in the name of Jesus.
I command all imaginations contrary to my prayer life to be defeated in the name of Jesus.
I cast down and bring to naught every demonic imagination against me and my family in Jesus’ name.
I immune my spirit, soul and body against every vain imagination in the name of Jesus.
I cast out, plunder and frustrate every satanic imagination against my life in the name of Jesus.
Lord, I pull down every stronghold of the enemy over my life in the name of Jesus.
I pull down and roast every demonic ladder the enemy is using to climb into my life in the name of Jesus.
I come against every evil pronouncement made against my life in the name of Jesus.
I arrest and bind every satanic notebook written against my life in the name of Jesus.
Daily Devotions: Day 7
Scripture: John 4:11, 18). “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another… There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love”.
Discovering the reasons for your fear can also help to improve your confidence. For many people, not quite knowing why they’re scared of something can lead to even more feelings of fear – have you ever been scared of fear itself? This is why it’s important to invest time to do some serious soul-searching and delve deep into your memories to discover the sources of your fears, even the worst ones.
In order to discover the source of your fears, it’s important to self-evaluate. This process involves asking yourself a number of different questions, such as what your biggest fears are, what triggers feelings of fear and anxiety in you and which memories invoke the most anxious feelings in you.
The process may be difficult and could take some time as you unearth memories that you may not want to remember, therefore it’s important to take your time, be kind to yourself and give yourself a lot of self-love. You may find it helpful to go through this process with a trusted friend, family member, or even a professional therapist.
An easy way to help you to determine the source of your fears is to write them all down on paper. No matter how small or insignificant you may believe your fears to be, jot them all down in front of you, in order of the worst to the least.
Then, write down what you think may be the source of your fears next to them. For example, if you are afraid of driving due to being in an accident, write ‘driving – traffic accident’. If you come to a fear and you’re not sure why you feel it, don’t worry – just concentrate on the ones which you can determine the source of for now.
Prayer points
I pull down the stronghold of confusion in my life in the name of Jesus.
Every seat of confusion in my life, be broken down in the name of Jesus.
O Lord, Let the storm of confusion within my mind be still in the name of Jesus.
I decree and I declare that every cloud of confusion that has enveloped my mind, fade away now in the name of Jesus.
I reject every storm of confusion, and claim a sound mind in the name of Jesus.
I decree and I declare that every power that wants to destroy my life, shall be destroyed in Jesus’ name.
I decree and I declare that every faulty foundation in my life, shall receive the fire of God in the name of Jesus.
I fire back every arrow of mind destruction fired into my life back to the sender in the name of Jesus.
My mind, receive divine touch of God and be relieved in the name of Jesus.
Lord strengthen me in my inner mind with Your fire and Your power in the name of Jesus.
I pull down every stronghold of uncontrollable thought in my life in the name of Jesus.
I cast down every evil imagination in my heart in the name of Jesus.
I bring into captivity every area of my thought life to the obedient of Christ in the name of Jesus.
