Who has not experienced fear? Fear attacks everyone! It’s one of the emotions that plagues most humans. Fear, however, is an emotion that needs to be tackled so that it doesn’t stop us from being all that God wants us to be and achieving all that God has for us to accomplish.

Some of the most common fears are fear of rejection, failure and the future. Nonetheless, as Christians, God tells us not to fear in several passages of the Bible because He is with us (Isaiah 41:10). He urges us to be courageous and strong, as He told Joshua in Joshua 1:8.

Fear of Rejection

Regarding rejection, we must remember that God says in several Scriptures that He’ll never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8, Hebrews 13:5, Joshua 1:5), and that He will not forget us (Isaiah 49:15). In the worst-case scenario, if mother and father abandon you, God will adopt you as His child (Psalm 27:10). He is a Father to the Fatherless (Psalm 68:5). You need not fear rejection, for the Lord shall surely not abandon you. You need to trust Him.

Trust Him even concerning your friends. Sometimes, we fear our friends leaving us. We want to fit in. But we were designed to be unique. Instead of fitting in, consider the truth that we are to be set apart and are called to live holy lives. If a friend is doing something wrong, it doesn’t mean we must do the same thing. We must remember our calling as Christians and know that ultimately, we are accountable to God. Additionally, it’s critical to be discerning about the friends we make. Prayerfully consider the people who come into your life as friends and allow God to bring godly friends into your life; those who pursue purity and, overall, His will passionately. Always trust that you were meant to be unique and live a holy, godly life. Stay true to that and you’ll not regret it. True friends will not abandon you. They will love you for your faith.

Fear of Failure

The Bible tells us that the righteous man will never fail (Psalm 112:6). As Christians, we are always victorious! A person who fears and honors the Lord will ultimately succeed because she trusts God.

While in school, we may be afraid of failing. We may be afraid that we’ll not succeed academically and therefore, not succeed in our careers or in life. But that’s not true when you trust in God. He has a plan for you and it’s a good plan (Jeremiah 29:11). You only need to continually pray and seek His will through reading His Word, the Bible. He’ll lead you to the right career, the right opportunities, people and places. Yes, God has a plan for you and when you follow it, there’s provision. You are sure to succeed when you follow it because it’s His plan, His unique plan, for your life. You need not fear failure in your education, in your career or in life, because God is with you. He will make things work out for you, one way or the other (Romans 8:28).

Fear of the Future

Closely tied to fear of failure is fear of the future, for the things that we fear we’ll fail in (i.e., our education and careers) are connected to the future. Every human being is afraid of the future because we are not all-knowing. That is why we need to trust and rely on God; the One who knows and holds the future. In addition to knowing that God has a good future for us, and as Christians, we have a bright future, we need not be anxious about anything but in all things, we need to make our requests known to God for peace (Philippians 4:6-8) and when we ask anything by His will or Word, He hears and answers us (1 John 5:14-15). We need not seek any other means of knowing the future for God is the only One who truly knows it, and He has provided the Bible as a channel for us to know the wonderful future He has for us.

What to Do When These Fears Strike

To deal with these fears, then, trusting God is crucial. Specifically, praying is essential. When Jehoshaphat was afraid because an army was going to attack him, he decided to pray rather than remain shaken (2 Chronicles 20:3). David also determined that when afraid, he will trust God (Psalm 56:3). In other words, when David felt afraid, he prayed. Prayer is the antidote to our fears, and we must push through our feelings and thoughts of fear to pray and release our fears to God. We can be assured that just as the Lord delivered David from all his fears, the Lord can deliver us from all our fears simply by trusting Him with them through prayer (Psalm 34:4-6)!

In addition to prayer, the Word of God is an indispensable weapon you’d need to tackle fear when it appears (Ephesians 6:13-18). You’d need the Word of God for prayer and for trusting God. Furthermore, you need to be confident in your righteousness in Christ and stand your ground, refusing to allow the enemy, the Devil, to manipulate you.

By using the weapons of prayer and the Word of God, you are more likely to overcome fear when it hits and be as victorious as you wish to be from every fear that will dare to come your way!

Akosua Frempong, PH.D., is a journalist for broadcast, digital and print media. She has worked on three continents: Africa, Europe and North America. She has an interest in topics related to youth and relationships. She was a youth leader at the local church in the United Kingdom for several years.