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!
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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!
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I am having such a hard time with worrying these days. I’m in a dark valley and I know that God is with me, carrying me through this; but I still worry. I lift each obstacle and battle up in prayer, but I still worry about it. I trust God to provide for my family and I, but I still worry. I’m praying for more peace, for less worrying. Thank you for this analogy!
Hi, Michelle: I pray you will experience that peace of God abundantly! We must (I am speaking to myself, too) cast our care on Him – not an easy thing to do, but doable because of Jesus and Holy Spirit. God continue to bless you richly!
I am a constant worrier about everything. I have a 14 yr old step daughter that is a worrier as well. This devotion truly helped me with the reminder that we don’t have to worry. If we take all or cares humbly before God, He will supply our peace. I really liked the ball throwing illustration that you gave, I will share this with my daughter. I think that will be something to help her daily as well as myself! I would love to read your devotional book!!! Thank you for this on time post!
Thank you for sharing this personal story with your son. I grew up in a home where emotions/feelings were not discussed. Problems were not solved. Everything was swept under the mat and my parents drank to cope with issues. Today as an adult, a recovering alcoholic, a Mom and a Wife, I feel uneasy/anxious when I get a negative thought. I think Satan knows how to work me over in my mind, plaguing me with thoughts of divorce or other thoughts that are not Godly. I truly struggle with taking every thought captive and ask the Lord and Holy Spirit to invade my head/mind daily. My son was just diagnosed with autism and I think that explains a lot as to why I perseverate on thoughts — I have it too. Thank you for your transparency on these real life issues and thank you for sharing.
Great article on ” you get to decide” what to do with fear and worry. I work as a child therapist and this article very helpful for children and adults alike. Really important for us to distinguish when fears are there to protect us versus a ploy from the enemy to derail us! If we can sit with the uncomfortable feeling, like holding the ball in our hands for a bit, before deciding how to respond, we can chose to align our reponses with God’s word and receive greater peace even in uncomfortable situations. God is bigger than all fear and worry- Amen!
Thank you Tania for your insight. I appreciate your input as a child therapist. I think this is why I don’t like to sit still and feel.
Thank you so much for your insights and encouragement Tania. I so agree that some fears are real and need to be unpacked and addressed. But then there are those that are straight from the enemy to derail us and literally steal the life out of our days. I am so very grateful for the Holy Spirit’s counsel and Christ-centered counseling books that has taught me how to work through knowing the difference. And I so appreciate professional like you who do what you do. Thank you so much!!
Thank you, Tania for sharing this insight. I am in a place right now where I am nervous about a foolish thing I did and not knowing if I caused damage to another vehicle. I really didn’t think I did when it first happened. Now, for some reason, I am wondering and nervous about it. I tend to get myself worked about things at times. Praise God things like this don’t happen very often. God continue to bless you richly!
I would love to win a copy of this devotional and journal! God is speaking to me about this area of my life and it’s amazing how He always provides! Thank you for sharing your gift!
My son and I bough have fear issues. Your book and blog have helped
I have battled worry and fear all of my life. It is a struggle I face everyday. I continually read and study God’s word, and any other Christian resource I can find, on the subjects of fear and worry. I need constant reminders in my battle to overcome the wanderings of my mind. Some days I am successful, other days a failure. Either way, I am thankful I serve a God who has overcome the world!
They impact me every time in my decisions! I overcome fears with God’s help!! Thanks for sharing and hosting!!
Blessings,
Tayrina
Just today I let fear win. We live in a safe, well, so far, safe community. My 12 year old son wanted to go down the road to his favorite fishing spot. I said no, not by yourself. Due to fear and a lot of what if’s. My husband lets him go by himself and says we can’t let fear control us. I think I am being wise to not let him go by himself. But really? I don’t know. Underneath I think it is fear of what could happen.
Renee,
First of all thanks for the neat printable. I need to take those words to heart and not let my worries overwhelm me. Right now my worries steal my joy by consuming my thoughts and taking my attention off of things I would much rather be doing. It also affects those around me as I externalize those worries into
crankiness. If I can throw my worries to the outfield, my day will be less stressful and I will be more at peace as Jesus promised in John 16:33.
Hi, Shirley: Very good observation about worries stealing joy how they affect us externally as well as inwardly. Thank you for sharing. God continue to bless you richly!
Worry & Fear sometimes grips my heart at work when I am preparing to ask something minimal from my Manager or when he calls me into his office. I guess this is so because of our very first meeting when I began reporting to him. He called me into his office and directed me to not be writing or saying “I am busy” He said, “we are all busy”. It’s too lengthy to go into what my words meant; however, that first meeting has had an impact on every meeting I have with him.
Thank you for your timely words. It’s so easy for me to go down the rabbit hole of fears, worries, anxieties, and doubts. Remembering God’s Word and promises helps me be lifted above the circumstances to His peace.
I will carry this with me as a reminder for me everywhere I go. I thank God for His faithfulness.
I trust Jesus but worry still creeps in. I remind myself that this too shall pass and my life is in His hands.
What an encouraging article and reminder to hold fast to scripture promises.
Thank you!
Fear and worry, just have always been something that dulls or blunt my ‘razor’, my ability to live life fully in the confidence that I have God’s pleasure, and that nothing unbearably horrible will happen, and that I can and will make good decisions that please God.
Worry has done much to rob me in my life. It has robbed me of much joy…. even to the lessening of physical characteristics of joy…. and people tell me that my smile is the most beautiful thing God has given me !
I worry almost everyday. When I do, I will pray about it and give it to God. I let it go; most of the time. At times, it starts at small and then overtakes my thoughts. I become negative. When I talk to God about it, my day gets better. I’ll try Renee’s suggestion. God is helping me to kick this sinful habit. God is the answer to everything. I’m so thankful to be his child!
I was away for the weekend, but concerns from home were on my mind. Not so much specific worries, but just a gnawing feeling of anxiety around the issues, which kept coming back. We passed a church that had a big billboard, which declared “God may ask you to wait, but he never asks you to worry”. What a helpful thought! And Renee’s devotion today was helpful, too. “Taking thoughts captive” becomes much more concrete when we think of catching them like a baseball!
Thank you so much for that wonderful idea of catching any fears and deciding if God would say that then tossing it if no; this will forever stick with me and be a wonderful tool to help overcome fear and worries. I am always worried about any choice or decision I make in life wondering if everyone else will like it. The only person who matters is God; does he like my choices. Thanks for your inspiration.
I am almost constantly worried about finances. I am a single mom with 9 and 22 year old children still at home. My husband committed suicide in Dec. 2007 and finances have been a struggle ever since. God has never failed to provide for me, but that is a weapon Satan constantly uses on me–throwing curve balls every now and again to throw me off my game. My worries still rub off on my children and I hate that. I will definitely use the encouragement I’ve received today through your devotion and free printable. Thank you!