“In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?”
—Psalm 56:4

I believe the most common problem known to man is fear. Everyone wars against it in some shape or form. A lot of times people say the opposite of love is hate, but oftentimes beneath hate is fear.

The Lord said not to fear over a hundred times in the Bible. So I want to encourage you today to stand against fear. The psalmist stood up to fear, saying he would not be afraid because he put his trust in God. Beloved, we too must decide to close our hearts to fear. God is calling us to reject fear and refuse to let it in.

Just as the Lord spoke to Joshua, He is telling us, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9).

Fear is a thief. It will steal your peace, your confidence, and your hope for the future. So you have to come against fear before it gets in. As soon as you begin to sense fear, the minute it begins to knock, that’s when you need to say, “No!”

And if fear is already taking up space in your heart, stand up against those fears and begin to close the door to them by agreeing with God. God has said He doesn’t want fear to have a place in your life. He has said, “I am your friend. I have you in the palm of My hand. Do not be afraid.” (See Isaiah 41:10.) So make a decision to agree with love, to agree with God, to agree with His Word. God doesn’t want you to be afraid. He loves you, He’s protecting you, and He’s going to take care of you. Remind yourself of that truth as often as you need to, and keep fear out.

Father God, Your Word says You have not given me a spirit of fear but a spirit of power and of love and a sound mind. I choose to agree with Your Word rather than giving in to fear. I trust that You have me in the palm of Your hand, and I will never be forsaken. I rebuke fear right now and command it to leave in the name of Messiah Jesus. Father, may my mind and heart be filled with Your peace and Your perfect love that casts out fear. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Rivers of Revelation (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2020), Used by permission.