Time Out! Devotions

(continued from previous post)

(from – http://www.intouch.org/site/c.cnKBIPNuEoG/b.5281195/k.210D/Feature_Article__Conquering_Your_Fears.htm)

While we are facing very serious times in our nation’s history, we are not alone. God is with us, and He is never out of control.

The apostle Paul discovered this in a fresh way during a very difficult time in his ministry. Somewhere near the end of his second missionary journey, he was staying in the city of Corinth. He had left Athens to go to Macedonia, but something happened that almost caused him to stumble in his faith. The Jews resisted his teaching to a point where they “blasphemed.” Paul was fed up with their stiff-necked ways. He declared that he would no longer go to the Jews first, but instead would preach God’s message to the Gentiles (Acts 18:5-6).

At every turn, Paul faced opposition from the Jewish leaders. On several occasions, his very life had been threatened. He was tired and likely felt alone and worn thin emotionally—vulnerable to the destruction of fear. One night as he drifted off to sleep, God’s Spirit spoke to him, saying, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9-10).

There we have it: one of the greatest apostles who ever lived, battling fear. But the verses that follow do not mention this again. Why? Paul changed his focus. He came face-to-face with the reality of his fear and chose to abandon it. Was this something he could do on his own? Absolutely not. There was no way he could move past the anxiety he felt without the assurance found in Jesus Christ. Once God’s Spirit spoke to his heart, the issue was settled, and Paul knew there was only one thing for him to do: complete the work God had given him.

The Enemy uses many things in an effort to distract us and prevent us from reaching our full potential—and fear is one of his choice weapons. He usually follows it with words of discouragement and accusation: “You can’t do that”; “You haven’t been trained”; “What would people think if you fail?” And that was his strategy in Corinth: Satan knew he would face ultimate defeat if Paul succeeded, so he tried to keep the apostle fearful. The Lord’s faithful promise, delivered at just the right moment, was all the encouragement Paul needed to continue preaching the truth of the gospel.

The right steps to overcoming fear

If you are going to overcome fear, the first step is to acknowledge and admit your anxiety. Confess, “Lord, I feel fearful, and I don’t know what to do. Please show me how to go forward from this point.” Next, ask God to enable you to conquer your fear. The more you understand your relationship with God, the more intimately you will relate to Him. Your level of trust will increase, and you will begin to notice the many ways He is at work in your life and circumstances.

Shortly before his death, Paul wrote an interesting word of instruction to Timothy. He reminded his young protégé, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear doesn’t fit who we are as believers. It usually surfaces when we have the wrong response to disappointment and trial. God wants you to be victorious, not harassed or tormented by anxiety.

Let God remove fear from your life. He may choose to do this by placing you in a frightening situation where you feel out of control. But you do not have to worry, because the One who has promised never to let you go is holding your life in His omnipotent hand.

After you have given your worries to the Lord, meditate on His Word. David understood the power that was available to him through God’s personal promises. He wrote, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? . . . My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear” (Psalm 27:1-3).

If you want to keep your confidence strong, study the Bible, apply God’s principles to your life, and walk with Him each day by faith. When you hide His Word in your heart, you will have the light of His truth to guide you—not only for your present circumstances, but also for eternity.

Fix Your Mind on Christ

Too many Christians experience fear because they focus on their circumstances instead of on God. Dr. Stanley teaches that maintaining a proper perspective will help you rest in the Lord.

How to Handle Fear
CD | $12 (U.S.)
DVD | $25 (U.S.)

James 5:17-18: Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. (NIV)

In the preceding verse, James 5:16, James wrote: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Now he explains how righteous Elijah prayed, as an example and encouragement to us. The story starts in 1 Kings 17:1 where Elijah confronts King Ahab (who has forsaken God) and tells him that God would stop the rain for three years. How did Elijah know? He would have known the Jewish law well, and God had said that if His people turned away from Him, He would stop the rain, the ground would become hard and the crops would not grow (cf Leviticus 26:18-20). So Elijah (a man of the Spirit and of prayer) would have prayed that God should keep His promise.

After three and a half years, God’s Spirit spoke to Elijah, telling him to announce that God was going to start the rain again (cf 1 Kings 18:1). And after a confrontation with the pagan prophets on Mount Carmel (cf 1 Kings 18:16-46), the rain started to fall. James says that Elijah was an ordinary man, but one who was right with God. The prophet knew what displeased God, and the penalty for such disobedience. So, in faith and supported by the Holy Spirit, he prayed that God would keep His promise.

Elijah’s story of earnest, persistent and effective prayer, at the end of the Letter of James, is in sharp contrast to the half-hearted, double-minded prayer at the beginning (cf James 1:6-8). The unstable man of chapter 1, does not receive anything from the Lord: the righteous man of chapter 5, sees the answer to his prayer. What makes the difference? Elijah was trusting that God’s Word was true and reliable, and that it was right to persist in asking God to fulfill His promises. Elijah’s secret was simple: first He read God’s Word, then he was grieved by godlessness, then he remembered God’s Word, then he prayed in accordance with God’s Word and believed that God would keep His promises. God’s answer was straightforward: “Yes!” Do you pray like that? Is that how you pray for your work colleagues, family and church? If not, get back into the Bible, and start trusting that God means what He says: then keep praying until God answers!

Prayer:

Almighty God. Thank You that I do not have to imagine what pleases You, because You tell me in the Bible. Help me to search the Scriptures so that I may pray effectively in line with your Word. May my passion to learn from Your Word each day grow so that I will become a stable and righteous Christian – able to pray effectively for my work colleagues, family, and church. For Jesus’ Christ’s sake. Amen.