Welcome Encouragement for Today friends! I am so glad you are here! In my devotion today I shared one of the many ways I have learned to process my worries and fear, and how God used my own struggles to help my son overcome his.
And I also wanted to share a printable to download and keep for those days when you and your loved ones feel afraid.
CLICK HERE to download my “Fear Not For I am With You” FREE printable.
These verses have been woven into countless conversations I’ve had with Jesus about my fears and worries, and my kids’ too. I love these scriptures because the first one includes God’s words speaking to me, and the second one is phrased as my declaration and prayer back to Him.
There is nothing more powerful than our hearts hearing our lips proclaim our trust in God’s truth. Again and again.
I pray this printable is a blessing today as you let it lead your anxious thoughts to Jesus!! Hold those worries in your hands and ask: Is this what Jesus would say to me?
If fear is saying something to your heart that Jesus would not say to you – then the answer is NO! And YOU GET TO DECDE that it doesn’t get to stay! I’m praying for each of you who stop by today!
ENTER TO WIN: A Confident Heart Devotional GIVEAWAY
Enter to win my A Confident Heart Devotional book and my favorite prayer journal from DaySpring. Perfect for summer and life on the go – my Confident Heart Devotional book is filled with powerful stories, practical life-lessons and biblical insights to help you and your loved ones overcome fear and worry through the power of God’s truth each day!
How much does fear or worry impact your daily decisions and joy (or your child’s)? Click “Share Your Thoughts” below and do just that. Your comment will be your entry to win!
Loved reading this devotional! My daughter is 8 right now and although she doesn’t voice her anxiety too often, it is clearly an ever present issue for her. She is timid to do many things out of fear that it won’t be what others are looking for. She is definitely a people pleaser and we talk often about how while we do need to consider others feelings/reactions, ultimately as long as we are pleasing God that IS what matters. I have printed off the free printable, so thank you. We will frame it together in her room. Winning the book on top of the free printable would just be frosting on the cake.
Thank you for all your supporting and motivating words and devotions. Blessings!
I struggle with my thoughts and worries. I am daily working on turning it all over to Him. These resources would be a tremendous help for me and our Women’s Refuge Group that God has me currently facilitating. God has us doing Dr. Henry Cloud’s “Changes That Heal” and I don’t know where He is leading us next, but I know he wants us to allow Him to Heal us and Change us so we can become the Mighty Women of God He has designed us to Be.
For most of my life fear was my daily companion. My father would drink and then become very mean to my mother and us kids. Then I married the same type of man and was married to him for 3 years. About two years later I married a man who was the complete opposite but after 21 years of marriage he decided he didn’t want to be married anymore. I was devastated, lost and alone except for my son who was in his first year of college. But through this storm in my life, the LORD found me and saved me. I have not been alone and afraid since then. But the LORD had even greater plans for me. After 9 years of living alone, HE brought a wonderful Christian man into my life. We have been married two years now and my husband treats me like a queen and he loves me so much and I love him so much. The LORD is so good!
Pam
Just this morning I was crying on my way to work after dropping my boys off. I was so worried. I worry about every little thing & don’t enjoy my kids being kids. I cried out to God as I cried & drove. Worry/Anxiety is a huge tool for Satan to use on me, and I have to go to God every time Satan tries to bring me down. My sons also worry more than they should, and I know I need to take their attention to God instead of just saying it’ll be ok & telling them not to worry.
Fear impacts me a lot & i believe my son also. I take anti-anxiety meds& they help, but I need to trust that God will help even more. My son is 15 & worries a lot. Since 15 yo boys are always right (LOL), there’s not a lot I can do for his issues besides talk to him about it. I also tell him to pray & he says he still does that too.
Fear and anxiety have ruled me my entire life. It is only recently that I see that the majority of people don’t live this way. I’ve been working hard the past 8 months to overcome this stronghold on my life, but there is a ways to go. I believe in God but have the terrible habit of giving things over to him and then taking them right back. Satan has a field day with me and my worry! Taking every though captive is definitely a discipline that I am trying to work on and having this devotional to really dive into every morning would be an even greater help! Thanks for the printable. Isa 41:10 has long been one of my personal cornerstones.
Growing up in a house that was more like a war zone, I struggle daily with anxiety and worry. The unpredictability of adult life resonates back to the unpredictability of my childhood. I recently decided enough was enough and have laid this burden before Him. I have verses plastered all over my mirror about trusting God instead of living with fear. I immerse myself in these verses every morning and every evening before bed. He speaks to me and my heart is healing.
BREATHTAKING! What a beautiful idea and powerful testimony! May we put His Word all over our houses and walls/mirrors – desks at work, and may God FREE us from all of our fears. 😀
I am so sad and so ashamed that I have passed that legacy of fear and worry on to my children and grandchildren.
I feel like I constantly worry..especially about my children…so much so that it gets downright depressing. I need to rely more on God and less on worry.
Fear and anxiousness are a pair that I need to keep in check daily. Although not a happy marriage by any means, last fall my extraordinarily healthy tennis playing husband was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease that caused him to suffer over 20 mini-strokes. Over the following months, he became the poster child for recovery and was doing great. Then in May, he suffered a larger stroke which has completely debilitated his left side (arm and leg). No longer able to care for himself, I have become his caregiver. Plus mom to our two girls and working a full time job. This is all in the midst of selling our home and now trying to secure a rental home that is accessible. Yes, fear and anxiousness try to sit on each shoulder taunting me into despair. But my faith in Jesus is stronger and whenever these evil pair strike, I turn to prayer. I know we will make it through this. It won’t be easy and I know that it will get harder before it gets easier and we may never know God’s plan through this all, but we have already witnessed so many blessings from this tragedy. We thank the Lord for each blessing and reminder of his divine love and forgiveness.
I love the physical act of throwing your worries back “into the outfield.” My eating disorder has started rearing its ugly head again and I am worried about fixing it. I have never read 2 Cor 10:5 in the context you put in today, Renee. Thank you so much for the devotional!!! Jesus would tell me that I am in control with His help. Have a blessed day!
My daughter gave up going to a Christian camp over the fear that she might do something that would be embarrassing and certain kids would judge her for those actions. It breaks my heart that she is so paralyzed with fear to miss out on special times of being with friends because anxiety is controlling her heart. I look forward to sharing all these tools with her so we can start to beat back that worry that the devil has placed on her. Thanks for being willing to share your amazing thoughts and words.
Hi, Renee: Thank you so much for sharing this. I should have read it yesterday. 🙂 I had an incident Friday that I thought I pretty much dealt with, then yesterday, I started thinking about it again and started to wonder and now I am nervous again. 🙁 I won’t go into details, but the worry and anxiety are doing absolutely no good. I will remember God’s promise and cry out to Him. God continue to bless you richly!
I am a big worrier I believe in god and I know he will get me through but I cant help but worry over money my kids my life everything. I need the book to help me get stronger in Christ. prayers.
I love the physical act of throwing the worries away like a baseball. So often we feel like we need to do something more and throwing the worry away satisfies that need. I will be teaching my children to ask themselves “Would Jesus say that?” .
I am a single mom trying to encourage and raise a little girl about fear and not to worry. I would love to have the tools and scriptures to help her and understand and give her the tools about fear and worry. Thank you for your devotional today.
I have struggled with anxiety and worry for many years now. I am trying to overcome and I love the thought of thinking of the worry thoughts as baseballs to be thrown away. Thank you.
Thank you for the encouragement today! I remember struggling with anxiety and worries as a child and I love being able to discuss this with my children. I can’t wait to see the 5 truths 🙂
Can’t wait to see the printable! 🙂
A topic that all of us can relate to!
I, too, received an empty email (nothing but title and link) and clicked the link and see an empty page.
Can’t wait to see the post!
**Good things come to those who wait!**
Continue to pray for Renee’s technical issues. If you are not subscribed to her blog updates, be sure to SUBSCRIBE TO EMAIL UPDATES in her sidebar and you will receive an email when the post is updated. (you can always unsubscribe after).
My marriage
Are we where we are supposed to be
My family and the struggles they are facing
Today I am turning these fears over to God and accepting the peace and joy that He wants to give!
Praying for you and your family, Marisa. God’s love is washing over your fears, in Jesus’ name. His perfect love casts out fear. (I too, need to be reminded of this, I am having fear/anxiety too).
I think, even as a little girl, I always knew to trust God. I didn’t always do that and “Oh Boy” what a miss I made of things. Now that I am older, “much older”, I realize I never had the answers and he always did. Thank You God for never giving up on me. Thank you group for helping me grow on this never-ending journey.
Thank you Renee for your encouraging words and the ministry God is leading you in to share with others.
I never knew there were 365 times where God spoke about the topic of being anxious. He always provides.
My youngest son struggle with fear and hearing voices, I would repeat that scripture to him often and let him know that at what time he is afraid to trust God. He is now 29 and he will still call me when things trouble him and I point him to Jesus. I will also tell him to pray and trust God because if you are worried that is not trusting. Whisper a prayer and lean on him in every situation and every circumstance. Thank you for the reminder. I serve an awesome God.
My three year old daughter inherited worry from me. In a sermon years ago a pastor said to throw ungodly thoughts like a baseball. I needed this reminder today as I am heavy laden. Thanks, Renee.
And Renee, I saw A Confident Heart advertised on this site and really felt like it was something I needed personally at this point in my life. I mentioned the book to a friend who asked if I would mind opening a women’s study on this to others…I am a first grade teacher myself now so I’m used to being in front of KIDS, but tonight we begin our study with 28 women!!!! I am nervous to facilitate, but anxious to see what God is going to do. If you have any advice about leading this study…I’m all ears! 🙂
I wish I’d read this devotional last night when it came in after midnight! Yup, I was awake! Worrying about 2 of my grown kids and my granddaughter who’d left for her 1st time to church camp! My night was long and restless! But I loved reading it this morning and I could visualize this. ..picking up rocks from the beach and throwing my worries into the depth of the ocean!
Thank you Renee! Dealing with this right now with my 7 yr old right- his curiousity about tornadoes and fires are turning into anxiety. I will use your suggestions! Thank you!
So many have mentioned their children and fears. As I sit this morning reading and listening to the rain and the thunder outside, I am reminded of when I was a scared first grader myself during a thunderstorm. I am now 43 years old and I still remember the day like it was yesterday. My teacher comforted me with the verse Psalm 56:3, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee,” and I’ve referred back to that SO many times in life. She has gone on to be with the Lord, but I will always love her for the example she set before me. I am living proof that the TRUTHS that we teach our children “will not return unto us void.” We may think they are not listening, but our words (positive and negative…so I have to remember to choose wisely) are often imprints left on their hearts forever.
Thank you Renee for the awesome visual!! I have struggled with fear and depression since I was a child. I was diagnosed with bipolar at 15 and even though I’ve been stable since then for the most part my worry and anxiety can be overwhelming sometimes. I always figured that “it’s just the way I am, I can’t change it I can just learn to live with it.” I have prayed into my fears, I have done Bible studies and shared with Christian friends who can pray with me and for me. But still I struggle big time with fear, it cripples me. This visual though!! I’m going to try it today 🙂 thanks again!!
Hi Jenny, I want to let you know I am praying for you. I was diagnosed bipolar in my 20’s and was on medication for many years. The Lord healed me of it though, I credit it all to Him. I was healed after I began to soak up His Word every morning~ and pray, and women’s bible studies. By the grace of God, I’ve been off medication for about 9 years now. Praying God heals you too. I do still have fears and anxiety but healed of “bipolar”. I hope that helps you. God bless, Friend. 🙂
Okay, so I read “Confident Heart” 3 times!! My 19 yo daughter is at the crossroads of college, career decision making, along with health issues, so I bought the book for her and she is really enjoying it. Thank you for the visual reminder of catching the ‘thought’ and throwing it into the outfield. Thank you Renee
Patience. God is with all of us.
Excellent reminder of how to speak truth to my grandsons heart!
Fear consumes and snuffs out the light which God created in me. I am going to use this wonderful tool and analogy for myself and my young son. Thank you Renee for your relationship with God that gave you words to share.
No downloads or comments. Fear is what’s a struggle for me.
Have read “A Confident Heart” twice now. I find it very encouraging
**As noted above Renee is having technical issues. PLEASE PRAY FOR HER!!!! If you are not subscribed to her blog updates, be sure to SUBSCRIBE TO EMAIL UPDATES in her sidebar and you will receive an email when the post is updated. (you can always unsubscribe after).
Good things come to those who wait!
I can’t see where to find the download or the tips. Please help.
I appreciate your message. I have a tendency to worry and I always have to remind myself that God is in control of everything. He is so good to me!
Just what I needed to hear this morning! Thank you and I loved the baseball illustration!
Hello! I only see a title at the top and a page of comments, no printable 🙁
Thanks for sharing. Great read for any age.
Thank you Renee!
That is the most simple way to explain how to capture those thoughts. I had always wondered how to do it, it helps a lot.
Thank you for the encouragement
Thank you for a simple visual nod action plan that is good for worrying adults, too!
My 12 year old son deals with a lot of worry and anxiety because he has a hard time fitting in socially with kids his age. He doesn’t make friends easy and that really bothers him because his younger brother can make friends with anyone. I was very encouraged by this devotional today and can’t wait to share it with him! Thanks Renee!!!!