I want to share some encouraging words to help you through these dark seasons of fear that can be so crippling and disheartening.

Don’t Believe the Lies

The enemy will constantly lie to you. He is the father of lies (John 8:44). We’ve got to renew our minds from the lies and deception that the enemy uses to create fear. You need to recognize the lies. Do any of these sound familiar:

1. I can never change.
2. God has given up on me.
3. There is no hope.
4. I’m too much of a sinner.
5. I’ll never be free from this.
6. I’m just not strong enough.

All of these are lies. Most likely, they are rooted in years of wrong thinking. The lies were unknowingly spoken over us by parents, family, friends and other influential people in our lives. While they may feel true in our lives, they are not!

Through the truth of scriptures, we must counter those lies with God’s truth:

1. We can renew our minds and be changed (Romans 12:2).
2. God is for us (Romans 8:31).
3. We can overflow with hope (Romans 15:13).
4. All of our sins are paid for and wiped away (Psalm 32:1).
5. Who the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36).
6. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Philippians 4:13)

Let God Speak to You

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” (Psalms 32:8).

God desires to speak into your life through his tender, loving, divine whispers. Take some time to learn how to hear God’s voice. It may feel foreign to you, but God desires to speak to you. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice.” (John 10:27).

The problem is that we often don’t take time to listen. Or, the busyness and distractions of the day make it difficult to be still and tune in our spirits to God’s Spirit. But, we must listen. “Faith comes by hearing,” (Romans 10:17) so we must take time to listen so that our faith can grow.

Trust Him

When I look back at my life and think through all those years that I struggled with crippling anxiety, panic attacks and fear, it all came down to trust. I believed that I was in charge of my own life. I was responsible for my own peace, my own safety, my own future. The weight of my life was on me.

I can tell you from experience that this is not a good way to live life. The more I learn to trust God and rest in his love for me, the more peace and rest I experience. The more I surrender control to him, the less I have to strive.

Here are some areas that I have learned to trust God more:

• I trust that all of my sins–past, present and future–are forgiven (1 John 1:9).
• I trust that my etermal destination is heaven (1 John 5:13).
• I trust that God will provide all my needs (Philippians 4:19).
• I trust that God will protect me and keep me safe (Psalm 91).
• I trust that he is always with me, even until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

This week, I encourage you to stop believing the lies, let God speak to you and then trust him. Even when we are faithless, he is faithful (2 Timothy 2:13).

Prayer: Father, help me break through this hopelessness. Speak to me heart and show me how much you love me.

This week, I want to encourage everyone that there is hope.  Hope is the one thing that gave me strength in the darkest of times. You need to know that there is hope in Christ.

Let me share some promises with you that will encourage you and give you hope.

God is faithful! He will complete the work he has started in you.

“I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again” (Philippians 1:6).

May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Strength and courage come to those who hope in God.

“So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the LORD!” (Psalms 31:24).

God has great plans for you, and those plans include hope.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

When you lose hope, you can turn your thoughts towards God.

“When I had lost all hope, I turned my thoughts once more to the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple” (Jonah 2:7).

There is great hope in the Lord! You can put your trust in him, and he will pour out incredible hope into your soul.

Don’t try to figure everything out. Simply put your trust in God, and don’t lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). When you do, he will empower you and give you strength to stand against these attacks of the enemy.

Be encouraged!  God is on your side!

Prayer: “Father, fill me with a new hope, and new confidence that you are with me at all times, and that I can have freedom from fear, panic attacks and anxiety.”

For years, my hope waned, dwindling down to almost nothing. Total despair and discouragement was quickly setting in. The anxiety and fear had so gripped my life that carrying out my normal daily routines was nearly impossible. But even in the despair, there was the smallest inkling of hope. I knew deep down in my heart that I was not created to live like this.

Speaking prophetically of Jesus, Isaiah writes: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering ember he will not snuff out” (Isaiah 42:3). I knew Jesus would not abandon me nor snuff out what little ember of hope I had left. Let me share how Jesus can renew your hope and spark a new kind of faith in you.

The synagogue’s daughter was deathly ill. Jairus frantically searched to find Jesus, because he knew that Jesus could heal his daughter and keep her from dying. He quickly found the Healer and pleaded with him to come to his house where he could pray for his 12-year old daughter.

But while on the way, Jesus was detained by a lady who had touched the hem of his garment. She was healed, and Jesus looked around and questioned who had touched him. Meanwhile, Jairus was probably way ahead of the group calling out to Jesus, “Come on! Hurry! My daughter is very ill, and we need you to pray. Hurry!”

As they approached the house, later than planned, Jarius’ servants came outside looking very sad. His daughter had died. Jairus cried out, “If only we had gotten here sooner.” Yet, even death could not stop Jesus. He turned to Jairus and said two simple sentences–two sentences that can renew your hope and your faith that God wants to make you whole:

Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe” (Luke 8:50).

When those overwhelming thoughts would come crashing in and my mind would begin to race, it was almost as if I could hear Jesus speaking those words to me: “Russ, don’t be afraid. Just believe.” Yes, it is hard to stand still when your body is numb with fear and your mind is racing out of control. But God is with you. He will not leave you alone.

“Well Russell, you don’t understand what I’ve been through. I’ve seen all the doctors. I’ve talked with all the counselors and psychiatrists. I’ve tried every medication known to man, and nothing is working for me. I fight and struggle and lose this battle to fear constantly, daily, every hour. It is just impossible for me to have any hope.”

As instruments of God’s healing, I do believe in doctors and medication along wise counsel, but ultimately, my hope is not in them. Listen carefully to the truths in these two verses of scriptures. I pray these words from your Father will rekindle your hope and spark your faith:

“What is impossible with men is possible with God” (Luke 18:27).

“Anything is possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).

This week, I encourage you with the words Jesus: “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.”

Prayer: Lord, I believe. I believe you are more than able to help me get free from fear. I know that your will is for me to live a life full of peace and rest. Lord, I put my trust in you.