Choose Faith not FEAR

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Why I Stopped Praying Against Fear --   by JULIE K. GILLIES

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 

Hi. My name is Julie. And for entirely too long my middle name might as well have been Fear.

Fear influenced many of my decisions. Fear amplified my imagination in a bad way — I was the worst-case scenario queen. Fear even tried to prevent me from moving forward in obedience to what I sensed God calling me to do.

So I did what any wise believer would do. I prayed. For years, I diligently prayed against fear. That God would take away my fear. That fear would leave me alone. That fear would vanish. That fear would be far from me.

Eventually I realized those prayers would probably require me to live in a bubble, limit my interactions with people, never attempt anything that could be considered risky and quite possibly never leave my house.

Ahem …

But the truth is, until Christ’s return, fear will always exist on this earth. We live in a scary world where bad things happen. One look at the news headlines makes that clear.

The enemy’s intent is to keep our eyes riveted on our fears and stop us from trusting God. Stop us from making wise decisions. Stop us from believing things can change. Stop us from pursuing the seemingly impossible dreams in our hearts.

It soon became clear to me that there must be a better way to pray. That praying against fear wasn’t enough, because fear still held far too much influence over me. And if God had not given me a spirit of fear, as our key verse declares, I wanted to sense a difference. I wanted to be brave and strong on the inside so fear could no longer shake me.

So my prayers changed. Drastically. Instead of just praying against fear, I began to use God’s Word and pray for specific things. God-inspired things. Like courage and confidence and amazing peace.

Though we might not always be fearless, by praying specifically for qualities found in God’s Word, we can fear less. If you’re battling fear on any level or in any area of your life, I’d like to invite you to do the same.

Instead of praying that fear will be far from us, we can ask God to give us strong, bold and courageous hearts (Joshua 1:9) when fear comes near.

Instead of asking God to take away all fear, we can ask for His grace to run toward the big, scary things with great courage (1 Samuel 17:48).

Instead of praying that fear will leave us alone, we can pray that when we are afraid we will trust and have confidence in God (Psalm 56:3).

Instead of asking God to make all fear in our lives vanish, we can pray that His peace which surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and supersede all fear (see Philippians 4:6-7).

Praying this way changes us. It has changed me. I no longer make decisions based on fear. I recognize worst-case scenarios forming and instead of entertaining them I nip them in the bud. And I am moving forward in obedience to the things God has called me to do.

God doesn’t promise to always take away all our fears. Yet He gives us the power, love and self-discipline necessary to embrace His life-changing truth. When we pray His living and active Word something amazing happens — God strengthens our hearts. He helps us trust Him, girds us with His amazing peace and enables us to move forward in courage.

And we will fear less.

Hi. My name is Julie. And my middle name is Brave.

RELATED RESOURCES:
Julie Gillies’ devotional, Prayers For a Woman’s Soul, will help you pray for and about yourself with topics that are relevant to you, including fear.

www.Proverbs31.org

Faith in every footstep...

I'm so glad God is in charge!

Billy

It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt several farmers before it was through.

Every day, my husband and his brothers would go about the arduous process of trying to get water to the fields. Lately this process had involved taking a truck to the local water rendering plant and filling it up with water. But severe rationing had cut everyone off. If we didn’t see some rain soon...we would lose everything.

It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes. I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year-old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He wasn't walking with the usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose. I could only see his back. He was obviously walking with a great effort ... trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house. I went back to making sandwiches; thinking that whatever task he had been doing was completed. Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went on for an hour: walking carefully to the woods, running back to the house.

Finally I couldn't take it any longer and I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey (being very careful not to be seen...as he was obviously doing important work and didn't need his Mommy checking up on him). He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked, being very careful not to spill the water he held in them ... maybe two or three tablespoons were held in his tiny hands. I sneaked close as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face, but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much higher purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.

Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck with elaborate antlers was dangerously close. But the buck did not threaten him...he didn't even move as Billy knelt down. And I saw a tiny fawn lying on the ground; obviously suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand. When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house and I hid behind a tree.

I followed him back to the house to a spigot to which we had shut off the water. Billy opened it all the way up and a small trickle began to creep out. He knelt there, letting the drip, drip slowly fill up his makeshift "cup," as the sun beat down on his little back. And it came clear to me: The trouble he had gotten into for playing with the hose the week before. The lecture he had received about the importance of not wasting water. The reason he didn't ask me to help him. It took almost twenty minutes for the drops to fill his hands. When he stood up and began the trek back, I was there in front of him.

His little eyes just filled with tears. "I'm not wasting," was all he said. As he began his walk, I joined him...with a small pot of water from the kitchen. I let him tend to the fawn. I stayed away. It was his job. I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save another life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, other drops...and more drops...and more suddenly joined them. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride.

Some will probably say that this was all just a huge coincidence. Those miracles don't really exist. That it was bound to rain sometime. And I can't argue with that... I'm not going to try. All I can say is that the rain that came that day saved our farm... just like the actions of one little boy saved another.

I don't know if anyone will read this... but I had to send it out. To honor the memory of my beautiful Billy, who was taken from me much too soon. But not before showing me the true face of God, in a little, sunburned body.

On Eagle's Wings

My children ran up the steep path, unaware mom was left behind. Their shouts of "I'll beat you to the top!" filtered down. I sat on the large rock, my head on my arms, tears running down my face.

The park, rich with multi-colored azalea bushes and dignified shade trees, was our favorite place to picnic and explore. My children and I hadn't visited in a long time because chemotherapy, radiation and two surgeries filled my calendar.

Treatment had finally ended and I wanted nothing more than normal life again. Except I was exhausted. Things that once came easy seemed impossible. Like climbing the steep, rocky path to the top of the hill. I used to run up those rocks, laughing with my children. But now I could only walk part of the way up. My stamina dipped below zero.

As I sat on the rocks, I asked God: Will life ever be the same? Will I ever be the same?

This week I celebrate 20 years as a cancer survivor. It hardly seems possible! My young children are grown and I'm a grandma to three beautiful grandbabies!

Looking back, advanced-stage breast cancer had robbed me of much. Certainty of my future. My children's security. For a time, my health.

But it didn't rob me of my faith. When I picture that moment I don't see a young mom sitting alone on the rocks; I see God holding her tight.

There are times when our strength isn't enough, when our wings feel molten and heavy. Those are the times God reminds us to rely on Him. Maybe I couldn't walk up the steep path, but I could find renewed emotional strength as I trusted God.

God's promise through Isaiah in our verse above was that when we are weary, we'll soar like eagles. How is that even possible? The underlying promise is that our wings will be lifted and the wind will catch underneath. It's not our strength that causes us to soar, but He lifts you and me up and out of our weary places—in His might.

It took months before I recovered fully and could run up the trail. But the path I learned to follow most closely during that time was into the pages of His Word where encouragement filled this embattled mom with hope. After two major surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation, I wasn't strong enough physically to do anything on my own, but I found spiritual strength in the pages of God's promises. I journaled my thoughts. I depended on God to give me energy when I felt weak. And I celebrated the smallest of victories even when they didn't seem like much.

When I look back on the pages of that journal, I don't see a young mom with cancer, but a woman of faith putting her trust in God during a difficult time.

Are you exhausted today? Do you feel faint? You aren't alone. You can trust Him to lift your wings, to give you new strength and power, as you depend on Him each day.


T. Suzanne Eller

I believe in miracles

I believe in miracles! When life is the darkest, the light is closer than we think.

When we are in the midst of a crisis and are praying hard for help, why are the Heavens sometimes silent? Where is God? Should we feel sorry for ourselves? Or get angry and think God has abandoned us?

What we do is critical.

God loves us and he's always listening. Sometimes he pulls back to test our faith. Will we believe in him and still stand strong no matter what? Will we continue to trust him?

When we don't give up, the miracles happen and the blessings start to come.

"O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?

How long shall they hand be stayed, and thine eye...behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?

My son, [daughter] peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high:" D&C 121