A Prayer to Reject Fear and Walk in Christ's Light
TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” 2 Timothy 1:7
SOMETHING TO PONDER
As October approaches, signs of the season begin appearing everywhere. Store aisles fill with costumes and decorations. Front porches are covered with spiderwebs, skeletons, and things designed to make us jump. Haunted houses open their doors, scary movies fill our screens, and for a few weeks, our culture seems especially fascinated with things that frighten us.
For most people, it's simply part of the fun of the season. We know the spiderwebs aren't real. We know the person jumping out from behind the corner is wearing a costume. We can turn off the movie, leave the haunted house, or walk past the decorations.
But the fears we carry in real life aren't always so easy to turn off.
Some fears don't disappear when October ends.
Fear of something happening to someone we love.
Fear of receiving bad news.
Fear of losing what matters to us.
Fear that something painful from our past might happen again.
Fear of a future we cannot control.
Those fears can feel very real. And if we aren't careful, fear can do more than frighten us—it can begin controlling us. It can keep us from moving forward, steal our peace in the present, and hold our thoughts captive to all the things that might happen.
Yet Scripture reminds us that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment" (2 Timothy 1:7).
Being a person of faith doesn't mean we never experience fear. It means fear doesn't get the final word.
My granddaughter, Marleigh, is seven years old. She loves Jesus with the sweet, uncomplicated faith of a little girl. She knows He loves her. She knows He is with her. She knows He takes care of her.
But Marleigh is also learning something most of us spend our entire lives learning:
Knowing Jesus is with us doesn't always mean we won't feel afraid.
One day, Marleigh was out on a lake riding a jet ski (with her parents, of course!) when a storm came up.
Imagine being seven years old, sitting on the back of a jet ski surrounded by what normally feels like a beautiful, wide-open playground of water, and suddenly everything changes.
The sky grows dark.
The wind picks up.
The water that had been sparkling in the sunshine begins to churn beneath you.
Thunder rumbles somewhere in the distance.
You are little.
The lake is big.
And there isn't anywhere to hide.
For Marleigh, that moment made an impression much deeper than that one afternoon on the lake.
The storm ultimately passed. She made it safely to shore. The clouds moved on.
But something about the storm stayed with her.
Now, if the sky begins to darken or the wind starts blowing harder, Marleigh notices.
If the clouds look even remotely threatening, fear can rush in before the rain ever does.
Is there going to be a storm?
Are we going to be okay?
Is something bad going to happen?
Her little body remembers what it felt like to be scared on that lake. And suddenly, she isn't simply looking at clouds anymore. In her mind, she is remembering that storm.
Isn't that what fear does?
Sometimes we aren't afraid of what is happening right now.
We're afraid that what happened before might happen again.
A dark cloud today reminds us of yesterday's storm.
And although we're standing somewhere completely different, surrounded by people who love us, perfectly safe in this moment, fear whispers, What if?
So when the clouds begin to gather, and fear rises in Marleigh, we remind her of something mightier than the storm.
"Marleigh, who is with you?"
Jesus.
"Who takes care of you?"
Jesus.
"Who can you trust even when you're scared?"
Jesus.
We aren't teaching her that because she loves Jesus, storms will never come.
We aren't promising her that nothing frightening will ever happen.
We're teaching her something much more important:
When storms come, she will never face them alone.
Jesus is just as present when the sky is dark as He is when the sun is shining.
He's there when the water is calm.
He's there when the waves rise.
He's there when our hearts feel brave.
And He's still there when our hands are shaking.
At seven years old, Marleigh is learning to take the thoughts that say, something bad is going to happen, and replace them with what she knows to be true:
She knows Jesus is with her.
She knows Jesus loves her.
She knows Jesus protects her.
And she can trust Him when she’s afraid.
And maybe that's what growing in faith looks like for all of us.
Not reaching a place where we never feel fear again, but learning where to run when fear comes.
Because faith isn't pretending the clouds aren't dark.
Faith looks at the dark clouds and remembers who is still Lord over the storm.
Some of us are more like seven-year-old Marleigh than we'd like to admit.
We've lived through a storm before.
And now, whenever the clouds begin gathering, something inside of us panics.
A doctor's appointment feels like the beginning of another diagnosis.
A difficult conversation feels like the beginning of another rejection.
A financial setback appears like we're headed back into a season we barely survived.
A change in someone's behavior makes us afraid we're going to lose them.
We see clouds, and our minds immediately create storms.
But perhaps in those moments, we need the same reminder we give Marleigh: questions like "Who is with you?" Who has carried you before? And who will still be with you when you are afraid?
The goal isn’t to convince ourselves that we will never be afraid or that bad things will never happen. Our goal is to be so convinced that He is with us. Marleigh is still learning this. So am I. Maybe you are too. And every time the clouds begin to gather, we get another opportunity to utter softly what is true: Jesus, I feel afraid, but I know you are here. And I choose to trust you. “
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Jesus, you have not given me a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and a sound mind. When the storms of life come, replace my fear with your greatness and might. May I commit those things that at times consume my mind with the peace of God, that I may rest in you. I know you are with me; may you continue to remind me that you are ever present- in every season. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE ON
What fears have I allowed to take over my thought life?
Take a moment and reflect on how God has carried me before.
How can I best live out 2 Timothy 1:7?
Go Deeper: You Can’t Be Brave Until You’re Scared
Have you ever wondered, “If I really trusted God, would I still feel this scared?” Maybe you’re worried about your children, afraid of what others might think, or hesitant to say yes to something God is asking you to do. You want to be faithful, but the fear hasn’t gone away.
This week on The Love Offering Podcast, I’m talking with Jess Connolly about her book, You Can’t Be Brave Until You’re Scared. This conversation met me in such a personal place. I shared how fear once led me to change my college major—and how I still get nervous doing the very things God has called me to do. Jess reminded me that courage can look like trusting Him while our hands are still trembling. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: Thinkstock/NiseriN
Angie holds a degree in Child and Family Studies and currently serves on the staff at Cloverhill Church, where she and her husband have been leading for over 25 years. She is the Executive Director of Cloverhill Christian Academy, located in Midlothian, Virginia. Angie is a dedicated advocate for foster children and families, and also serves as a Trust-Based Relational Intervention Practitioner, offering support in her community and beyond. In addition to her roles in church and education, Angie contributes her insight and leadership as a board member for Families First and the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Department of Social Services.
How does she do it all? With purpose and passion—as a coach in family life, ministry, and schools, Angie brings experience, empathy, and a heart for helping others thrive.
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