What: What is Fear?

Fear:  ¹* an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger; ² to make afraid, terrify; ³ to be fearful, dreadful, to be feared

Fear of God is not the same as emotional fear, it is; ¹ to stand in awe of; ² to reverence, honor and respect

Behaviors that are fear based:

1. Reservations: having reservations about doing the will of God, or operating in and receiving what God has promised.
2.  Dread:  morbid desire to not do something.  Usually accompanied with fear of how others will respond
3. People bondage: Fear of another’s response.  Care taken over how someone else views you as opposed to how God views you.
4. Procrastination: failure to act in a timely fashion, not seizing the moment because you think you are inadequately equipped to complete the task, think that you may fail or you are regarding someone’s response to your actions.
5. Doubt: wondering about the truth of God’s Word.
6. Anger: not feeling confident in one’s self or in God, leading you to respond to situations with anger rather than joy. (The joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10)
7. Compromise:  changing your values to line up with the world’s values in order to achieve what God has promised.

Why: Fear is not the will of God, boldness is.

God has not given us the spirit of fear

• 2 Timothy 1:7
• Revelation 21:8
• Philippians 1:28

Fear leads us into bondage

• Romans 8:15
• Hebrews 2: 14-15

Fear prevents faith.  Faith works by love and perfect love casts out fear.  If you are operating in fear, faith is prevented.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.

• Galatians 5:6

• Mark 4:40
• 1 John 4:18
• Hebrews 11:6

Boldness: (Greek,3954) ¹Outspokeness; ² frankness; ³ confidence

The righteous are bold.

• Proverbs 28:1
• Romans 5:17

Our confidence in God makes us bold

• 1 Thessalonians 2:2
• Hebrews13:6

How: How do I operate in boldness rather than fear?

Ask God for boldness

• 1 John 5:14-15
• Ephesians 6:18-20
• Acts 4:29-31

Take authority over your thoughts

• 2Corinthians 10:5

Renew your mind through the Word of God

• Romans12:2
•  2 Timothy 2:15

Meditate on the Word you are studying

• Joshua 1:8

Confess the Word

• Hebrews 4:12

Confessing the Word builds your confidence in God’s promises, as well as, changing and rearranging the circumstances of your life.

• Proverbs 18:21

Confessions: Take time each day to speak the Word of God over yourself and family.  The powerful, active, living Word of God will change your life!

Here are several scriptures to begin you on your journey to a life of boldness, free from fear.  Use your bible and concordance to discover more.

1. 2 Timothy 1:7
2. Galatians 3:13-14
3. Proverbs 28:1
4. 1 Peter 5:7
5. Hebrews 13:6
6. 1 John 4:17-18
7. Ephesians 3:11-12

Greek lexicon based on Thayer's and Smith's Bible Dictionary plus others; this is keyed to the large Kittel and the "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament." These files are public domain.

* definition taken from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible