Sunday, May 6, 2012

40 DAY FAST FROM WRONGFUL THINKING (Day 3)


"I'm Afraid"

     Today we are fasting from the granddaddy of all wrong thinking: "I'm afraid."

      Fear is at the root of just about every negative thinking that happens in our lives. We're afraid of failing, afraid of being alone, or rejected; afraid of running out of money; afraid that people will let us down; that we won't find a spouse or the one we found will leave us (or in some cases that they WON'T leave us -- haha). We're afraid something bad may happen to us or our children, and the list goes on and on.
     All fear is rooted in the core belief that God's Word won't work. For example, the fear of not having enough is rooted in the fear that Philippians 4:19 isn't true. If you believe that "God will supply all your needs according to His riches...", then fear leaves.

LET'S CHANGE IT TODAY

1.  Meditate on the fact that God's Word is true. In John 17:17, Jesus said, "Thy
     Word is Truth." What God says is fact-- whether you feel it, see it or whether you
     have ever experienced it.
2.  Consider God's track record. 1 Kings 8:56 says, "... He has done all that He has
     promised. Every word has come true of all His good promise..." (New Life 
     Version). Fear leaves when you can rely on something that can't fail. God has never
     failed to fulfill His promises. There are over 1000 predictions or prophecies in the
     Bible-- promises that God made before they happened. The chances of merely 17
     of these coming to pass is ONE out of 450 billion x 1 trillion! Yet, not one of these
     1000 promises have failed.
3.  Accept the truth that what we fear comes upon us. In Job 3:25, Job feared that 
     his children would curse God and that's what happened. When you realize fear has
     the power to produce negative results, you stop dabbling in it. When a child learns
     what fire can do, he no longer plays with matches!
4.  Perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18) Flood your mind with thoughts of love--
     God's love for you and what He was willing to do to rescue you. If He would die 
     for you, while you were in sin, separated from God, there's just nothing He would
     not do for you! Think on that and fear will leave.
5.  There is a promise, from God's Word, for every need you will ever 
     experience. In fact, there are over 7000 promises in the Bible. that's 7000
     solutions to life's problems! For example, there is a promise of protection in Psalm
     91:1-12 which delivers you from fear of evil, sickness or tragedy.
6.  Pause and dwell on the fact that God is with you. Psalm 23:4 says, "Though I
     walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil-- for YOU ARE
     WITH ME." God's presence is the secret to a fear-free life. All fear ultimately is a 
     sense of God's absence, or our separation from God. By contrast, a sense of 
     God's presence delivers us from fear. Hebrews 10:19 says we enter the holy place
     of His presence by the blood of Jesus. YOU ARE IN HIS PRESENCE NOW--
     therefore, fear not!

  THINK IT AND SAY IT

FEATURING:  God's Word is true whether I feel it or not. He has kept all of His
                        promises and had never failed. Fear leaves me because I rely on
                        something that can't fail-- His promises.

                        What I fear comes upon me, therefore, I will fear ONLY GOD and
                        He will come upon me! God loves me perfectly and I will not think
                        otherwise, no matter what!

                        God has made 7000 promises to me because He knows I need them!
                        God is with me and therefore, I will fear no evil

                        God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound
                        mind, in Jesus' Name.

*** reprinted from Gregory Dickow "Start Thinking Forward"