OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SATURDAY MAY 18TH, 2024.
THEME: BANISHING FEAR
MEMORISE:
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10
READ: Matthew 10:26-31
26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
MESSAGE
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
The above passage tells us clearly that the Holy Spirit which God gives to us is not a Spirit of fear. This also implies that fear is not a feeling, but a spirit, and that spirit is not from God. As Christians, whenever we find a spirit that is not of God around us, we must banish such a spirit immediately.
Today, fear is banished in your life, in Jesus' name.
The antidote to fear is faith. Ephesians 6:16 says: "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked" When this Scripture was written, soldiers had to go to war with shields as it was essential for their survival against the attacks of the enemy. Likewise, we are to quench the fiery darts of the enemy with the shield of faith.
What are these fiery darts? They are the imaginations through which the spirit of fear creeps into a man's life. This is why 2 Corinthians 10:5 says:
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
The knowledge of Christ casts down fearful thoughts and imaginations. The more of God you know, and the more aware you are of His power and love for you, the less afraid You will be. You must subject every negative thought to the truth of God's word. When the thoughts come, you should respond with the word of God that counters them. As you do this over and over again, you will overcome those fears.
You cannot know God without studying His word, hence, to fully banish fear from your life, you need to study God's Word consistently. The Bible says in Romans 10:17:
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The more of God's word that you constantly listen to, the more your faith will grow. This will ensure that there is no room for fear in your heart. Study the word of God and meditate on it every day. Memorize His word, especially the portions that speak specifically to the fears you have. As God's word dwells richly in your heart, every form of fear will disappear.
KEY POINT
Studying and meditating on the word of God banishes fear.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 5-7
AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 29: WHEN PEACE LIKE A RIVER
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
No comments:
Post a Comment