Joyce Meyer - Straight Talk on Fear: Overcoming Emotional Battles with the Power of Gods Word!

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Amplified Bible (AMP). The Amplified Bible, Old Testament, copyright 1965, 1987 by Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified Bible, New Testament, copyright 1954, 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Originally published as Help Me Im Afraid.

Warner Books Edition

Copyright 1998 by Joyce Meyer

Life In The Word, Inc.

P.O. Box 655

Fenton, Missouri 63026

All rights reserved.

Warner Books, Inc.

Hachette Book Group

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New York, NY 10017

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First eBook Edition: September 2009

ISBN: 978-0-446-56501-1

O ne of the many benefits available to us in our spiritual inheritance as a believer in Jesus Christ is freedom from fear. But even if we are afraid, we know that we can go ahead and act, because God will be with us to protect us. He will help us, go before to fight the battle for us or deliver us, bringing us through victoriously as we obey Him.

If you feel you have missed out on some things in your life because of fear, you can learn how to handle or overcome fear and begin to experience the abundant life God has planned for you.

FREEDOM FROM FEAR

the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

T he message of fear not, for I, the Lord, am with you is expressed in many different ways throughout the Bible. God does not want us to fear because fear prevents us from receiving and doing all He has planned for us. He loves and wants to bless us and has provided ways for us not to fear.

We can see in the following passage that we who believe in Jesus Christ do not need to fear the things that unbelieversthe people of the worldfear. God does not want us to fear those things.

For the Lord spoke thus to me with His strong hand [upon me], and warned and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

Do not call conspiracy [or hard, or holy] all that this people will call conspiracy [or hard, or holy]; neither be in fear of what they fear, nor [make others afraid and] in dread.

The Lord of hostsregard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].

Isaiah 8:1113

In His Word, God tells us that we can live victoriously, strong in Him and in the power of His might. And He has promised never to leave us or forsake us regardless of what happens.

No Fear!

Every one of us has experienced starting to step out in faith and, even at the thought of it, fear rising up in us. We need to realize that the source of fear is Satan. First John 4:18 KJV says:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Satan sends fear to try to torment us into being so doubtful and miserable, we will be prevented from doing what God wants us to do and receiving all that God has for us.

We can live without fear by building our faith on what God has said in His Word. For example:

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7

Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Romans 10:17 KJV tells us, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. We need to learn and confess aloud Scriptures like the ones above and the ones at the end of this book to drink them in like a glass of water when we are thirsty. When we open our mouth and confess what the Lord says to us and about us, Gods Word will give us the power to overcome the fears that torment and prevent.

And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.

And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.

1 John 5:14,15

There is power in praying and confessing the Word of God, which is His revealed will. I am convinced that one of the most important things we can do in our prayer time is confessing the Word.

When we find ourselves trying to avoid confronting some issue in our life because of fear or dread or wondering or reasoning, what we should do is pray and ask God to do for us what He has promised in His Wordto go before us and pave the way for us. James teaches us that we have not because we ask not. (James 4:2.) Jesus tells us to ask, seek, and knock. (Matthew 7:7.)

When we are facing a job interview, for example, instead of being afraid that we will make a bad impression and fail to get the position, we need to ask the Lord to be with us, to go before us to prepare the way for us so that we can present ourselves in the very best light. Then we can trust that whatever happens, it will turn out for our good in accordance with Gods perfect will and plan for us.

Do It Afraid!

Now [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your fathers house, to the land that I will show you.

Genesis 12:1

How would you feel if God told you to leave your home, your family, and everything that is familiar and comfortable to you and head out to who knows where? Full of fear?

That is precisely the challenge Abram faced in this passageand it frightened him. Thats why God kept saying to him again and again, Fear not.

That is the same message He gave to Joshua when He called him to lead the Children of Israel to take the land He had promised to give them as their inheritance. (Joshua 1:6,7,9)

Anyone who is going to do anything for God is going to have to hear the Lord say on a regular basis, Fear not.

Elisabeth Elliot, whose husband was killed along with four other missionaries in Ecuador, tells that her life was controlled completely by fear. Every time she started to step out, fear stopped her. A friend told her something that set her free. She said, Why dont you do it afraid? Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint, sister of one of the murdered missionaries, went on to evangelize the Indian tribes, including the people who had killed their husband and brother.

Many times we think we should wait to do something until we are not afraid. If we do that, we will probably accomplish very little for God, others, or even for ourselves. Both Abram and Joshua had to step out in faith and obedience to God and do what He had commanded them to doafraid.