By Charles F. Stanley
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
—ISAIAH 41:10 NKJV
Father, how grateful I am for Your awesome love and that You are with me at this moment when I need the comfort only You can provide. I am afraid. I am shaken to my core. But You know all about my fears—how deeply they affect me, where they originate in my heart and mind, and how they ultimately paralyze me from moving forward in important ways. Thank You, Father, for helping me overcome the things I am afraid of and offering me Your peace and security.
Father, it is amazing how situations such as the one I am facing can knock me off my feet and throw me off balance. I know that happens because I feel weak and frightened when I lack control. However, I recognize that when I wrestle with such fears, they ultimately exist because of what I believe about You. I am focused on myself and the challenges rather than You. Therefore, please reveal where my fears have taken root and why they exist. Lord, remove the lies I believe and the issues that prevent me from fully embracing who You are.
Continue to give me strength and courage through Your Word. Comfort me with Your nearness, and reassure me of Your constant presence. Teach me about who You are so I can stand strong against these fears and declare in faith, “My God is wiser, more loving, and more powerful than any problem I could ever face!” Help me to daily place my focus on Your unfailing character and life-giving principles so that I can be courageous—a person who obeys and pleases You in every way.
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Father, I am grateful that You want me to be free and won’t let me remain in bondage—You don’t want me to be a slave to my fears. You desire for me to enjoy the abundant life You created me for. Therefore, You bring my fears to light so that You can deliver me from them and I can be free.
So I will set my heart to believe You and will say as David did,
Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me? . . .
In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me? . . .
For You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the light of the living?
(Psalm 56:3–4, 11, 13 NKJV)
I bless and praise You for Your kindness and the patience with which You heal my wounds. Thank You, Father, that I can have victory over my fears because of who You are and what You’ve promised. You said I can have confidence because You will be my God, You will always be with me, and You will protect me with Your righteous right hand. You are the all-powerful and all-wise God who defends me. Truly, You are worthy of all the honor, glory, power, and praise! And my soul rests secure and in peace because of You.
In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
________
Taken from When You Don’t Know What to Pray: 100 Essential Prayers for Enduring Life’s Storms by Charles F. Stanley. Click here to learn more about this book.
Powerfully honest prayers for every challenge in your life.
We know God is there for us. He calls to us and encourages us to entrust our troubles and questions to His care. But so many of us struggle with translating our pain, desires, and hopes into words. In this book of powerful prayers, internationally respected pastor and bestselling author Dr. Charles Stanley helps you start conversations with God in a transparent, honest, and humble way that will deepen your relationship with Christ and heal your heart.
- When emotions overwhelm us
- When life is painfully difficult
- When others need our prayerful intercession
- When God tasks us with specific callings
- . . . and more
Full of insight on listening to and walking with God, each prayer is designed to be customized to your unique situation. But more than that, these prayers were written to draw you further into the presence of God, allow you to sense the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and help you obey as the Lord guides you in the way you should go.
As Dr. Stanley writes, “The purpose of this book is for you to hear Jesus—to know Him better and love Him more in the distinct area where you are enduring the storm.”
Dr. Charles Stanley is the founder of In Touch Ministries and pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia, where he served more than fifty years. He is a New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy books, including Every Day in His Presence. The In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley program is transmitted on more than 3,600 television, radio, and satellite networks and stations worldwide in more than seventy languages. The award-winning In Touch devotional magazine is printed in four languages and sent to more than one million subscribers. Dr. Stanley’s goal is best represented by Acts 20:24 (TLB): “Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love.” Because, as he says, “It is the Word of God and the work of God that changes people’s lives.”
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