Isaiah 43:1 NKJV “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.”

No one is exempt from temptation to fear, but we have a choice to not yield to the temptation. The first man God created was Adam, and the first recorded words Adam spoke were these: “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” There are numerous areas of fear, but studies confirm that our seven greatest areas of fear are finances, health, career concerns, parenting struggles, family relationships, accomplishing personal goals, and death. Fear is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear is of the devil, and it has torment (1 John 4:18).  Fear means “sudden attack” or “ambush or snare.” That is what fear does; it attacks us and takes us captive. So, what is the answer to fear? Faith in God! Fear weakens, but faith strengthens. Fear imprisons, but faith liberates. Fear paralyzes, but faith empowers. Fear disheartens, but faith encourages. Fear sickens, but faith heals. The words “fear not” or “be not afraid” are recorded in Scripture many different times. God has given us sufficient “fear not” or “be not afraid” assurance to strengthen our faith to not fear or be afraid every day of the year. And here is one of them: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1). Do not give in to fear, rather stand on God’s Word and He shall see you through your challenges and make you stronger. God is with you every day, and He promises to strengthen and guide you in every situation you face. For every fear you face, there is a faith promise against that fear!

Judges 6:15KJV “And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 

Gideon suffered from poor self-image, like the children of Israel who were sent as spies to the “promised land” (Numbers 13:33). We can limit what God wants to do for us by our negative thoughts. The Bible talks about ‘strongholds’ in the mind (2 Corinthians 10:4).  Strongholds are patterns of thinking that controls our imagination, attitudes, and our actions.  Gideon’s identity was that he was the weakest of the weakest in his culture and family. Negative patterns of thinking are dangerous because it undermines God’s Word, the truth, and your faith.  “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7).  We become what we think about ourselves.  Negative thoughts give credibility to negative imaginations to make them a reality. A small negative thought if not countered, becomes bigger and stronger until it becomes a controlling power in your mind. God instructs us what kind of thoughts to think about ourselves: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”  (Philippians 4:8). When you think positive thoughts about yourself, it will grow and become a stronghold of your mind and eventually your reality. Let us believe the report of the Lord, always.

Colossians 2:6 “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.”

The Lord Jesus Christ came to deliver us from complications that Satan could potentially bring into our lives (Colossians 1:13). You are delivered from the power of darkness. You are made free from the yoke (oppression) of bondage (Galatians 5:1). You are delivered from a complicated life into a simplified life in Christ Jesus (John 10:10). The key to maintain this simplified lifestyle is to “walk in him”; in order words continue to live your life in him. Over and over the scriptures instruct us to walk (conduct our lifestyle) as new creations in Christ Jesus. We are instructed to walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8) so we do not stumble; to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2) so we are failure proof (1 Corinthians 13:8); to walk in wisdom (Colossians 4:5) so we do not act foolishly; to walk in the truth (3 John 1:3), so we are not deceived by the devil; to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), so we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh. God wants us to walk worthy of the Lord, so we can be fruitful in every good work (Colossians 1:10). The ultimate is for us to walk in the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus, whom we have received as Lord. If we stop walking in Him, then we will start sinking into sin, carnality, and sadly become subject again to the power of darkness. God forbid!

Psalm 27:4 NIV “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”

If you could ask God for one thing only, what would it be? There are scenarios and scripture references in the Bible that could help you ask accurately, for the one thing. To ask accurately, the first test you need to pass is that of motive. With God, motives determine outcomes. You must seek right to be right. “You may think everything you do is right, but the Lord judges your motives.” (Proverbs 16:2 GNT). Why are you asking? Is it to consume on your lust or is it to honor and to glorify God? (James 4:3). The ONE THING that David spoke about was his ONE DESIRE: to desire God above all else (Psalm 27:4). He was putting God first in his life (Matthew 6:33). If you focus on the priority, you eliminate all the confusions. The man born blind and healed by Jesus (John 9:17-25), had ONE FOCUS: “ONE THING I do know. I was blind but now I see.” Apostle Paul said, “ONE THING I do: forgetting the past and pressing forward to a glorious future” (Philippians 3:13). The Lord Jesus called the attention of Martha to the ONE THING needful: preferring the word of God over other necessary busyness (Luke 10:41-42). Jesus Christ should be that ONE THING, the focus of your life. What ONE THING do you desire? What ONE THING would you ask God? If you could do ONE THING with your life, what would it be?

Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

All believers in Jesus Christ must understand this fact: we are at war and our enemies are not human but spirit beings and fallen angels deployed by Satan to carry out his agenda to steal, to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10). The good news is that God has given us the power, authority, and armor to defeat Satan’s army. First our authority is derived from Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18, Luke 10:19). Divine authority, as given to every Christian by our Lord Jesus Christ is your number one weapon to bind and cast out demonic spirits wherever they operate. Second, our weapons of warfare are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Ephesians 6:13-18). Third, the target we must hit in this warfare, are the demonic spirits and not the individuals they are manifesting their wickedness through: hit the principality NOT the personality! Fourth, the Bible has several examples of how the Lord Jesus Christ healed and set the oppressed free by hitting at the demonic spirits responsible for their conditions (Mark 9:25, Luke 13:10-13). Apostle Paul hit at the spirit of divination in a young lady to set her free (Acts 16:16-18). It is an honor for us who have received the kingdom that cannot be moved, to follow the examples of the Lord Jesus Christ, to hit at the spirit of fear, barrenness, depression, infirmity, jealousy, poverty, hatred, unbelief, immorality, disunity, pride, selfishness, evil speaking, and whatever spirit Satan has deployed to torment individuals, communities, churches, families, nations, and businesses, in Jesus Christ Name.