Types of Fears

There are many types of fears:

  • Fear of falling – we are born with this. It is a gift from God to protect us.
  • Fear of loud noises – we are also born with this fear and it is also a gift.
  • Fear of death – the Bible tells us we do not have to fear this, if we have received Jesus’ compensation for our sin. He overcame death, hell, and the grave.
  • Fear of loss – of people, of relationships, or of things.
  • Fear of rejection – this is a big one that many people deal with. It causes insecurity, clinginess, or emotional distance. 
  • Fear of public speaking – this is also very common, but it may have different root fears. A fear of rejection caused me to fear public speaking. Talk about robbing someone of their destiny! When I was young, I would freeze and my mind would go blank. I could sit across a table and talk to someone, but I couldn’t speak publicly before even a handful of people. I couldn’t even remember my name on one occasion. The humiliation I would feel would reinforce the fear. Eventually, a stronghold was built.
  • Fear of failure – often linked with a fear of rejection. 
  • Fear of change or of the unknown – can be fear of the unfamiliar, or of leaving what is familiar. This is in part what Abraham was dealing with.

These are only a few, but enough for us to examine ourselves.

Dealing with some of these can cause us to run and hide. We try to stay away from certain situations or structures. Fear can paralyze you. Israel’s army was paralyzed by its fear of Goliath. When you get to that point, there is no amount of will-power you can draw on to get you through the situation. You are just stuck. The result is that you can’t act. You can only react. You can’t be who you should be or do what you should be doing.

“For I am the Lord your God Who holds your right hand, and Who says to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I will help you.’” (Isaiah 41:13; NLV)

Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:

  • Take a minute and worship the Lord. He is worthy of our worship! We always want to first come to Him grateful and worshipful!
  • From that place of openness to the Holy Spirit, look at the list of specific fears above. After reading the comments, can you see where some are God-given, but most are enemy-driven? Let the Holy Spirit show you if there is a very specific fear the enemy is trying to use to derail you and your destiny.
  • Sometimes we can see the fear from the fruit.
  • Look up some Bible verses on how God delivers us from fear. Read Psalm 23, Psalm 91, and 2 Timothy 1 to start you out.
  • Let His words melt away any fear. 
  • Declare, “Lord, even when your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have! You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way. Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for you are near.”

A prayer you can pray:

Oh, God, I love You and worship You. You are so worthy. I love You so much, but I know You love me more than I can ever fathom. The more I truly know Your love for me, the more fear must loose its hold. Having a revelation of Your perfect love casts out all fear. As I read through the list of specific fears that the enemy could be using to abort my destiny, speak to me. Show me where the attack against me is really rooted. Show me why I am afraid of that specific thing. Show me the fruit of the fear, so I can watch for it in the future. Give me Bible verses to counteract that root of fear, so I can take the sword of the Spirit and defeat my ancient foe. Let me grow confident in Your love and in the comfort of Your Word. You were fighting for me the day You wrote it! You knew what my battle would be and You already designed a way of deliverance. I am so thankful! Lord, even when Your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for You already have! You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way. Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of Your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for You are near, Jesus. Amen.

Today’s decree:

Therefore, I will not fear, but I will trust in the Name of the Lord my God who saves me.