What to Do When Fear Knocks on Your Door
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“Do not be afraid – I am with you! I am your God – let nothing terrify you! I will make you strong and help you; I will protect you and save you.” – Isaiah 41:10, GNT
When my husband Russ called me from his hotel room in China, fear started to creep up in my mind. Russ was traveling alone on a business trip, waiting for a Monday meeting, when he told me he was feeling sick and wasn’t sure where to find medical care in a country where he didn’t speak the language. I urged him to ask someone at his hotel’s front desk for help, but before I could even finish my sentence, he said he had to lie down – and then our phone call got cut off. Try as I might, I couldn’t get back in touch with him. Immediately, fear knocked on my door, filling my mind with terrifying thoughts that Russ could die all alone halfway across the world. As I felt overwhelming fear, I had a choice: either give in to panic or turn to God. I chose to respond with prayer and trust by letting go of my worries and placing my husband into the hands of God, who was right there with him in that hotel room.
Fear has a way of showing up unexpectedly and uninvited. It demands your complete attention, trying to distract you from God’s love and replace your peace with panic. When fear knocks on your door, it wants to control your thoughts and feelings so much that you may be convinced you’re helpless against fear. But you don’t have to open the door to fear and let it take over your life. You have a powerful, loving Heavenly Father who promises to stand with you through every scary situation, no matter how intimidating the situation appears to be.
Where does fear knock on the door of your life and try to creep in?
Maybe it happens at work, where you face the threat of layoffs, a stressful workload, or a high-stakes project that you don’t know how to handle well. Fear might tell you that your future at your job is ruined. You can overcome that fear with faith by remembering that God is your ultimate provider. Instead of letting panic control your workday, you can take well-being breaks throughout the day to pray, asking God to give you what you need and guide you to the best opportunities.
Or, maybe fear knocks when it comes to your health or the health of someone you love. A troubling symptom or an agonizing wait for test results can make your world feel like it’s spinning out of control. When anxious thoughts of fear creep into your mind, you can fight back with faith by fighting anxiety with God’s help. You can choose to place your body and your loved ones into God’s compassionate hands, since God is the ultimate healer and he cares.
Your relationships can also bring overwhelming fear into your life. You might be terrified of losing a marriage, dealing with a broken friendship, or worrying constantly about your children. When you feel powerless to fix a person or a situation, fear tries to convince you to hold on tighter out of desperation. But if you have faith that God will help you in scary relationship situations, you can overcome that fear and let go for your well-being and the well-being of everyone involved.
God doesn’t expect you to face these scary situations in your own human strength. In Isaiah 41:10, God reminds you that you never have to be afraid because he’s always right beside you. He promises to make you strong, help you, protect you, and save you!
So, when fear tries to distract you, redirect your focus back to God’s promises. Talk to God in prayer and trust God to do everything he promises to do in this powerful verse. No matter how scary it is when fear knocks on your door, you never have to fight the battle alone.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider how to respond when fear knocks on your door, reflect on these questions:
- What’s the biggest fear knocking on the door of your life right now?
- In what ways does fear usually try to pull your attention away from God?
- How can you let go of your current worries and place them into God’s hands to help you with those situations?
- What’s one past experience where God proved he keeps his promises by helping you through a scary situation?
- How can you remind yourself of God’s powerful presence with you whenever you start to feel overwhelmed by fear?
Further Reading:
Psalm 56:3
2 Timothy 1:7
Psalm 23:4
Philippians 4:6-7
Joshua 1:9
Go Deeper: Is Your Ambition God-Honoring?
Is your ambition God-honoring? How do you know when godly ambition has slipped into vainglory? We explore that and more in today's episode. Like what you hear? Follow Bought + Beloved with Kirby Kelly on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional encouraged or challenged you in your walk with Christ.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Aliaksandra Ivanova / EyeEm
Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com!
Listen to The Love Offering!
Encouraging you to love God, others, and yourself—one faithful step at a time.
Each week, host Rachael Adams sits down with inspiring women who are making a difference right where they are. Through honest conversations, biblical wisdom, and real-life stories, you'll be reminded that your everyday acts of love—no matter how small—matter deeply to God.
You were created to live a life of impact.
You were made to be a love offering.
Was this resource helpful? Add Christianity.com as a trusted source for Biblical content.
