The Power of Praise to Ward off Fear

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt completely helpless and afraid?

A diagnosis. A loss. Situations out of your control.

Fear has a way of pushing it’s way into our hearts and minds when we face the unknown.

It slowly permeates every area of our being, leaving us anxious and exhausted.

I know this from experience.

In fact, for years fear and I were close.

Our paths crossed early in life, but only for brief moments.

Yet as life began to take it’s toll, we became more acquainted.

Postpartum depression. My father’s death. An unexpected miscarriage.

Life had become full of uncertainties.

Fear stood at my door banging and screaming to come in.

It began convincing me that the world was unstable and I was at it’s mercy. That I just had to sit and wait for the “next bad thing” to happen.

It’s hard to resist fear, when you’re not covered in truth.

It was during this time of intense fear that God began to draw me in and teach me powerful truths. He exposed lies and replaced them with truths.

He showed me that fear is not just an emotion, but a spirit. It couldn’t be taken lightly. There was an assignment against me and He was my Source for overcoming.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

I had to learn to battle in the spirit.

Searching the Word, I came across a story that resonated with my struggles. Not only would I find comfort, but a weapon I could use to overcome fear.

 

Learning to Battle in the Spirit

King Jehoshaphat was in a terrifying situation.  Much like my own life, everything seemed to be going great for him, when out of the blue he received a bad report: The Moabites, the Ammonites and some of the Meunites were declaring war against him.

Now this was no ordinary battle. This mighty army was out for blood and they were getting close. With the odds stacked against him, Jehoshaphat had to make a move.

It seemed he had two options:

He could let the fear overwhelm him and shrink back or he could go forward risking great loss for his people.

When we are faced with difficult situations, we tend to only see the negative options.

But Jehoshaphat chose a different path.

Rather than looking at his circumstances, He looked up.

He chose to fight not in the flesh, but in the spirit.

When faced with fear, he chose to seek God and praise Him.

In the midst of our difficult times, we can choose to praise and be raised or complain and remain.

After experiencing so much loss, my instinct was to complain. To ask the why’s and question God’s love for me.

But Jehoshaphat was wiser. He knew something that I would soon embrace.

The Power of Praise

Instead of complaining, Jehoshaphat began to praise.

He prayed, “O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you!” 2 Chronicles 20:6 NLT

I believe the moment he began to praise, his battle was already won.

His eyes were lifted from his situation to the One who could win the battle for him.

Our battles belong to the Lord.

Jehoshaphat’s battle plan was to send in the singers to praise the Lord.

At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.” 2 Chronicles 20:22 NLT

When we praise Him, we take our eyes off of ourselves. When our eyes are no longer fixed on our circumstances, we can clearly see His hand at work on our behalf.

This is what I failed to see during my time of pain.

I was blinded by my hurts.

When I began to praise Him, I realized that He was actually doing something amazing in me during this difficult time.

He was teaching me who He was and the power I had in Him.

This truth would become part of my new battle plan for fighting fear.

I was no longer a slave to fear.

You are no longer a slave to fear.

We have the power of praise to not just ward off fear, but to change our perspectives.

It draws us into a deeper relationship with God, giving us rest in our souls in the midst of adversity.

What are you fearful of today? Is fear holding you back from living the abundant life God has for you? Can I encourage you? You have the power to defeat it. Begin by praising God. It doesn’t have to be complicated.

• Tell Him what your grateful for.
• Confess who He is and what He’s done for you.
• Turn on worship music and sing to Him.
• Open the Psalms and declare His Word.

These are just a few of the things I do to praise God.

As you begin to praise Him in the midst of fear, you’ll not only begin to feel peace, but see Him fight your battles for you!

Father, we thank you for all you do for us. Your love for us is far greater than we could ever imagine. We praise you today as Ruler of all. Jesus, you are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. We thank you for the inheritance we have in you. Fill us today with your grace. Guide us as we navigate through life’s circumstances. Teach us to rest in You and rely on You as our Source. We love you and praise you, In Jesus’ name, Amen.

*If you want to learn more about battling fear, you can join us for the series Battling Fear Through the Truth of God’s Word.

 

 

 

 

About the author:

Alisa Nicaud currently lives just north of New Orleans, LA with her husband Philip Nicaud, their five children and their dog, Roux. She owns a boutique coaching practice and is the founder of the blog, Flourishing Today. Through her own tragedies, Alisa is intimately familiar with the struggles of anxiety, fear, insecurity and depression. Alisa’s willingness to be transparent gives her a unique advantage in relating to women from all walks of life and leadership. She freely shares helpful hints and practical encouragement rooted in Biblical truth in her posts and resources. Her passion is to help women grow in faith and walk in purpose. You can learn more by visiting her blog at www.flourishingtoday.com

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