Choosing Fatih Over Fear - Your Nightly Prayer - January 12th

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Choosing Faith Over Fear
Your Nightly Prayer
By Lynette Kittle

TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.” - Psalm 56:3

SOMETHING TO PONDER

Although a New Year is usually celebrated with joyful expectation, for some, it brings an uncertainty of what might lie ahead in the coming year, especially if the last year brought sorrow, loss, and lack.

Many of us have faced hardships this past year, unexpected, difficult to navigate, and might be feeling pretty beat up from life over the last year, still in recovery and restoration mode, looking ahead to the New Year. If so, it’s understandable that we are somewhat reluctant to start all over again when we’re still struggling from the year before.

But as Christians, we don’t have to be fearful of facing uncertainty, because even if we don’t know what might lie ahead for us, our heavenly Father does know, and His word tells us that He is with us, leading us forward in this life.

God tells us in Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right han.d”

As well, God encourages us throughout the Bible to have faith in Him, to trust Him, because we don’t need to be fearful. He calls us to take on the following five traits when fear tries to overcome our faith.

1. Courageous:
In Deuteronomy 31:6, His word urges, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
2. Sound-Minded:
The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1:7, reminds us, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (NASB)
3. Unshakable:
Paul in Romans 8:31 teaches us how to respond to fear: “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
4. Fearless:
In Psalm 27:1, David, who is known down through the ages for his fearlessness and courage of epic proportions, wrote, “The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?”
5. Peaceful:
Most of all, Jesus Himself speaks peace to us, calling us to leave fear behind in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Dear Father,
As we look ahead to the New Year, we are holding on tight to Your righteous right hand, knowing that even though fear tries to tear apart our faith and away from Your hand, it is holding onto us. Strengthen us, dear Lord, to be courageous, sound-minded, unshakable, fearless, and most of all peaceful. Help us find comfort and confidence in knowing You’ve got a hold on us that cannot be broken. As we enter the days ahead, leading us into the uncertainty of a new year, we know that with You, our futures are certain.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen. 

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. If struggling with fear as we approach the New Year, look to the Bible for verses that help embolden your faith. Write them down and read daily, maybe carry them with you wherever you go on your phone to strengthen you when fear tries to knock you to your knees and drag you down.

2. Ask God to help you be courageous like David when faced with fear that seems as destructive and powerful as a bear, or a giant, or a mad King. During these fearful times, practice leaning on Him rather than giving in to fearful thoughts.

3. Find some Christian autobiographies to read, ones of individuals who relied on their faith in God over the fears they were facing in their lives. Read them to help encourage you in your own faith-over-fear battles.

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Prince David

Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.