How to Deal With Fears From Without
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
What are you anxious about? What do you fear?
Jacob (Genesis 32:9-12) gives us a great example for dealing with external fears. Note:
He addresses his prayer to “O God of my father…O Lord”, the One and only all powerful God and his Lord.
He’s praying while in the process of obeying God – “You said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives…’”.
He prays with humility and thanksgiving – “I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown…”. He’s grateful, having come with only a staff and now has ‘two companies’.
He identifies his fear and states his request – “Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me…”
Then he claims God’s promise to him – “But You have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper…”
Are you walking in obedience? What promises has God given you? You can stand on them. His promises are absolute certainty, no ‘chance’ involved. (You don’t have to know probability and statistics. That’s Good News for everyone, not just those who don’t like math.)
Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.