Message #2:
Conquering Fear
So many of us struggle to make decisions that impact big parts of our lives, sometimes it just feels too much to handle, so many choices and so many options yet all seem to be hard, i know this can be overwhelming and you wish that it can go all away and things to go back to the normal that you got used to so much. But you must know that whatever challenge you are facing in your life is there for a reason and its not going to get away by its self neither we will just get over it but in the middle of it we can actually learn to overcome our struggle.
The world maybe is challenging but our god is same as yesterday, today and he is the same tomorrow and for ever we are his children, he has a good plan for us, in times like these we have to focus on Jesus and remember that heaven is our home and our home is in him alone.
That only is a very good news, thats why we will overcome our fears and struggles.
Satan is trying to take advantage of so many christ followers right now by bringing on a spirit of fear, and when he brings on this spirit it makes us feel hopeless and that our future is uncertain, he makes us feel that we can’t trust god, he starts lying to us saying ( its not going to work, you cannot do that, its never going to make any difference, its not going to happen) the lies are coming in, the pressure increases, we feel depression and anxiety.
Despite all that let me tell you something, Jesus wants to set us free from that spirit of fear , we do not have to live underneath, so are you ready to receive?
If you are ready to receive pray with me:
Father we thank you
God we thank you
You have given us the ability to come before you to receive what we need.
God you know the circumstances, i dont know everyone’s circumstances but you know, you see prosecuted christians who live in fear, you see people suffering from addictions, marriage problems, family fractions, arguments, unemployment, you see where we are father, god i ask our ears would be open to hear what your spirit is saying.
We say we are open god, touch us, change us, transform us, we pray in Jesus name, Amen.
*The story of Elisha
There is a very interesting little story hidden away in 2 Kings Chapter 6 concerning Elisha and the king of Aram. In the Bible we read of powers and principalities and battles in the spiritual realm yet only a few glimpses of this realm are given.
“Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.” The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?” “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.” “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha”
2 Kings 6:8-17 NIV
In one minute, his moment changed from ( Oh no) to ( Oh god) instead of being over that moment he decided to overcome it, he conquered fear.
How do we Conquer fear?
1 – Look fear in the face:
For when you face it and look at it closely its no longer something to be afraid of but a challenge to conquer, Elisha calls it and recognized it when the servant said Oh No, he knew what was going on and assured the servant to not be afraid instead of focusing on the circumstances at hand.
2 – Know that God is with us:
We know that god is with us, Elisha says to the servant don’t be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them, now the servant may have looked at Elisha and wondered if he was crazy, he didn’t see many in their side but only 2 of them, but Elisha knew for that moment what the servant didn’t, that the almighty God is with them, for he is far greater than anyone else out there.
“You, dear children, are from god and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater then the one who is in the world”
1 John 4:4 NIV
So we can look fear in the eyes and know that god is with us.
3 – Pray that our Eyes would be open to his plan:
Elisha prayed, he said “Open his eyes, lord, so that he may see.”
Elisha knew that god had plan, When that fear gripped the servant, he called on god and he prayed, he didn’t say to his servant lets just stop and count the cost here, but he said we have to call on god and pray that your eyes are opened so you can see that god has a plan.
My dear brothers, the more we are in fear the more we need to open our eyes and pray so that we can see the lords plan.
We hear and see unprecedented situations around the world, from people losing faith in god because of the financial crisis related to the Pandemic to even some of us who fear for their security, some of us have been even in situation of life & death, facing devil face to face but our biggest comfort in these dark times is to go back to the lord and pray so that we continue to see that the lord has still plan for us. In the moments that there is no answer he is the answer.
4 – Believe for deliverance:
Fear causes us to doubt God’s plan when it comes in, it makes us skeptical that even god can provide and that he is a loving father, But Elisha servant didn’t doubt , when Elisha prayed he believed and he says “He looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” 2 Kings 6:17 NIV
You see the enemy was strong, but when the servant saw with spiritual eyes what god was doing that’s when he saw a hill full of God’s army that was fighting on his behalf, that’s when the deliverance came and god delivered them.
When the enemy started getting closer and closer and Elisha prays a bold audacious prayer that god would actually strike all the army with blindness, and god does it, they all go blind and then Elisha and the servant come out and they actually walked up to them and say the Elisha you are looking for is not in this city but we can take you to him, and thus they lead the entire army out of Dothan and go straight into Samaria where Elisha delivers the enemy into God’s people hand and the deliverance came.
“So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory”
2 Kings 6:23b NIV
You see god delivered them all finally, it wasn’t just Elisha and the servant but the whole Israel, God did it, he delivered them, but required a believe that he could do it, it required that they face the fear and believe that god was on their side, it required that they pray more audacious prayers to lead them out of that city.
And you know what?
Just like Elisha and the servant, every time that we look fear in the face and conquer it, the enemy recognizes that they can’t win anymore.
5 – Have Faith and Put our trust in god:
At the end of the day when that darkness comes in and fear sets in, when it looks like are surrounded, when we are not sure how we are going to make it, we have to have faith and put our trust in god, faith and trust go hand in hand, weak faith will not get us through in this time or in the years to come.
God is taking us deeper into our faith to show that Jesus can provide for you what you cannot provide your self.
So believer trust in god and know that his plan is bigger than mine or yours, trust that he is working all things together when you don’t understand it.
Listen and obey and open your heart to Jesus.
“ but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm”
Proverbs 1:33 NIV
“ For god has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”
2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV