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There are fruits of the spirit that reflect the character of a believer living in accordance with the Holy Spirit as detailed in Galatians 5:23 \u2013 peace, love, joy, self-control, patience, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness. These are things to live out and embody in the natural as a believer of Jesus. There are also things which hinder us from walking fully into our identities and one of them is the spirit of fear. Fear robs you of your destiny, it paralyzes you from living out everyday things in life and steals your joy. In 2 Timothy 1:7 \u201cFor the Spirit of God does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.\u201d When you recognize that the spirit of fear is at play in those you love, what do you do? I\u2019ve had very recent talks with my children about not living in fear; taking all your cares and praying about it because we daily watch our family walk in fear. It has robbed my family members of precious time together and joyous occasions because they live with extreme fear.<\/p>\n
Do you have the following symptoms? Inability to trust, paralyzing fear or anxiety, negative thinking, isolation, waiting for the other shoe to drop, thinking the world is against you? These thoughts and behaviors are signs that you are operating with a spirit of fear in your life. Once you identify the spirit, it\u2019s time to figure out how to evict this thing from your life. You don\u2019t have to live with fear, allow fear to rule, or keep it in your life as your friend. It\u2019s not your friend. Now, some will say there is such a thing as healthy fear. And yes, that can be true such as being cognizant of your surroundings when out late at night. Or recognizing when healthy boundaries are crossed. But most of the time, when anxiety, stress, or negative thinking are present the underlying cause is fear. <\/p>\n
How many times do we hear, don\u2019t believe the lies? So many people believe lies not only said to them or about them, but they also believe what the world says. But the Bible says to put the truth in your mind and renew it with scripture. Romans 12:2 \u201cDo not conform\u00a0to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.\u00a0Then you will be able to test and approve what God\u2019s will is\u2014his good, pleasing\u00a0and perfect will.\u201d The word renew means to restore to freshness; to begin again. <\/p>\n
What would it look like to begin again? If you are fearing, read the word of God. It will sooth your soul in ways we can\u2019t explain. Get those words down deep, so when the fear comes or the panic attack arises, you can combat it with truth. You will keep in steadfast peace if you keep your mind renewed on Christ. Isaiah 26:3 \u201cYou will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust\u00a0in you.\u201d At the end of the day, fear is a choice. We either choose to give into fear or we choose to turn and walk away. <\/p>\n
Here are some steps to take to not let fear win in your life. <\/p>\n
Memorize scripture<\/strong>: Find a scripture that resonates with you, say and repeat it as the fear swells. Repent of fear and turn from it. When we tell the Lord, please forgive me for fearing (because fear is a sin), there is a shift in the atmosphere. You don\u2019t have to sin. You don\u2019t have to fear. We recognize circumstances may be out of our control but then bend a knee and tell the Lord to take it away. <\/p>\n Prayer and fasting<\/strong>: We always have prayer as an option. By memorizing scripture, then you can use what my one friend called breathe prayer. You say the verse over and over again until your soul calms down. You can say it under your breathe, repeating it and calling on the name of the Lord to come to your rescue. Fasting unlocks the power of prayer. True fasting is from food, but you can fast from anything like social media, some types of food, tv, etc. It can be anything which distracts you from the Lord and is keeping you stuck. <\/p>\n Praise and thanksgiving<\/strong> unlock a change in circumstances like no other. Learning to praise will break fear off your life. It will bring joy into the places where fear resides. Thanksgiving forces fear to flee. What can you be thankful for each day? Make a list and pray over it. Thank God for all the blessings in your life. It can be as simple as thank you for the sunshine today; thank you for my smiling kids and their laughter. God does bless each of us with simple things to be grateful for. <\/p>\n Find support and counseling.<\/strong> I believe we need all three \u2013 counseling, inner healing and deliverance. Each one has its place, and I love what Finding Freedom Ministries<\/a> does. They have a post-deliverance counselor who helps you to walk out your deliverance, so there is lasting fruit from being set free. Find community and have them pray over you to help keep your mind right, your heart posture before the Lord, and to find peace.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to let fear win. Fear will keep you from living out the abundant life God has for you. My hope and prayer for others we meet is that they come to know peace that surpasses all understanding. Only then, they can truly be set free. <\/p>\nLike this:<\/h3>\n