Facing Fear through Prayer

It is what gave a beautiful young queen boldness to approach her king in order to petition for the lives of her people.

It is what gave a young shepherd boy the boldness to speak against a giant that was taunting his people and his God and bring him down with a few stones.

It is what gave a fearful, stuttering man the boldness to approach the enemy of his people to ask for their freedom from slavery.

It is what gave a bunch of unskilled, unqualified, ordinary men the boldness to share the good news to the world around them.

It is what gave the savior of the world the strength and boldness to take up a cross.

Esther, David, Moses, the disciples all had something to fear. From a powerful king, to a demeaning giant, to a stubborn pharaoh, to a crowd of angry people.

Alone they would never have had the boldness to step out and do what God called them to, but the great thing about each one of these stories is that before they were bold and brave and ready to conquer whatever they had to they spent their time with the man who would prepare them and equip them for whatever they had to face.

They spent it with God.

Esther spent three days fasting with her servants before approaching the king.

David spent many days in the field praising and praying to God as he was shepherding sheep before facing goliath.

Moses spent time talking to God by that burning bush before he went back to Egypt to confront pharaoh.

The disciples spent years in the presence of Jesus before they were bold enough to speak for Him.

And Jesus spent his last night in the world in a dark garden crying out to God as He prepared himself to endure the pain of the cross.

And it is prayer alone that will give us the faith and boldness that we seek to fulfill God’s will.

I love what Acts 4:13 said about the disciples “when the people saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus”

The disciples didn’t take a course on how to speak eloquently or how to overcome their fear of preaching in front of large crowds. Just like David never took any courses on how to fight a giant and Esther never took any courses on how to persuade a king.

Yet they did it all… not by their own efforts, but with the help of God.

The only thing that set them apart from anyone else isn’t how smart or fearless they were… but who they spent time with.

See, things just naturally change in you when you spend time with God.

Even take Moses for example when he went down from Mount Sinai after talking to God His face shone… literally. (Exodus 34:29-30).

If there is anything I have learned it’s that you cannot leave God’s presence unchanged.

You’ll be changed not because of you anything you did, but because of what God does in you.

I can recount time after time when I come to prayer feeling burdened, restless, and tired and just a few minutes later I feel totally refreshed and renewed.

The times I come to God feeling worried and scared and just a few minutes later I feel confident and strong to fulfill God’s plan for me.

The times I come to God feeling overwhelmed with circumstances of life and worried about the future and just a few minutes later I feel His sweet peace for what is to come.

The times I come to God feeling brokenhearted, hopeless, and discouraged and just a few minutes later I feel comforted, loved, and whole again.

I have found antidote to worry, to depression, to fear.

I have found the secret to being able to fight my giants like David did, to step out in faith like Esther did, and to face my trials like Jesus did: spending time with the God who goes before me.

And then maybe people can say about me what they said about Peter and John when they were boldly preaching “She’s just an ordinary girl, but look at her, she is standing up for the truth and sharing God’s light wherever she goes”.

“She’s just went through a huge disappointment but she’s still trusting God and has a smile on her face”

“She’s always running around being so busy with a million things yet she doesn’t seem tired or restless”.

How? Because she has been with Jesus.

In the morning He’s the One who give me strength to face the day.

During the day He’s the One who gives me boldness to fulfill His plan for me.

At night He’s the One who renews and refreshes me for another day.

I am just an ordinary girl, but the only thing that will ever set you or me apart is this: we know who to run to in order to help us face everything that comes our way.

Tonight I don’t know what’s going on in your world.

What giant you are facing, what person you need to confront, or what trial you are walking through but I want to remind you once again that God is only a prayer away.

He will help you be brave when you face your fears, keep walking when you feel like giving up, and find hope again when you are in the dark.

You don’t need to live in worry, in restlessness, or in fear because your God is near.

Tonight be fearless in Him. Be hopeful in Him. Be strong in Him. Anna…♥

“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” -Deuteronomy 3:16