One day Jesus and his disciples climbed into a boat to cross the sea, and he laid down and went to sleep. A storm arose and the waves began to spill into the boat, so his disciples became fearful. They woke him up and said, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and said, “Peace, be still” (Mark 5:39). The wind died down and became calm and He said, “Why are you afraid?”

The disciples were afraid because they believed the lies that Jesus didn’t care, He was just a good teacher, and they were all going to die. When he calmed the seas, they suddenly came to realize that He was God and their fear of drowning suddenly disappeared. Fears are based upon false beliefs such as: “Something terrible is going to happen; I’m going to die; he is going to return and hurt me again.” You cannot easily talk people out of these beliefs but God is able to replace false beliefs with His truth to set us free (John 8:32).

The beliefs that are usually connected to feelings of fear are: "I'm going to die, I'm trapped, he is going to come back and hurt me again, something terrible is going to happen to me, I'm going to be hurt, if I tell anyone they will come back and hurt me again, it will destroy my family if I tell anyone, doom and despair are coming to me."

A Christian father was putting his 10-year-old son to bed one night and the boy asked him to leave the door open a little and to leave a light on. The father asked his son why he was afraid but the boy said he didn’t know. His dad asked him if he wanted him to pray for him and the boy said he did so the father prayed, “Lord, would you help Mark know why he is afraid.

His son said, “I’m afraid that a stranger will break in my room and take me away.” His father asked if he could pray again, then he asked the Lord what he wanted his son to know about that fear. After praying the father asked his son if he had any thoughts come to his mind. The boy said, “God said, ‘That’s not going to happen; He’s going to protect me. He’s with me.’”

The boy suddenly relaxed and began to smile. He said that he was no longer afraid because he knew that he was safe. He felt peaceful and he rolled over and said, “Good night, daddy!” His father gave him a hug and told him “Goodnight” and turned out the light.

This father was wise enough to understand that the Lord is able to reveal the reasons for our fears and to take us to their source. When he prayed for his son, the Lord helped him understand his fears.

This boy’s fears suddenly disappeared when the Lord spoke truth into his heart. This father understood that fears are based upon irrational beliefs (lies) that we believe that cause us to overreact to things in our lives, and he knew that God can set us free through prayer.

NORMAL FEARS ARE HEALTHY

It is normal to be afraid of snakes, other dangerous animals, falling over a cliff, and swimming in deep, treacherous waters. These fears cause you to take caution when in dangerous circumstances and protect you. When you overreact to something, such as being terrified when you see a bug or water it is called a "phobia." Phobias can create many social problems and cause your children to be excessively fearful of things in the future.

EXCESSIVE FEARS ARE CAUSED BY BELIEFS FROM PAST EXPERIENCES

The children at Robb Elementary School who survived the shooting in Uvalde may have a variety of fears in the future that can disable them and interfere with their lives. They may have an excessive fear of crowds, schools, the sight of guns, fireworks, and being in an enclosed area where they feel trapped. It is normal to have such fears after experiencing a very traumatic experience, but the Lord does not want us to be stuck in our fears permanently. He has provided a means to set us free from all our fears so that they will not control us the rest of our lives.

ASK THE LORD TO TAKE YOU TO THE SOURCE OF YOUR FEARS

Sometimes people have excessive fears and cannot remember having an earlier experience that caused the fear. If you truly want to be set free from a fear it is often helpful to pray and ask the Lord to take you to the original source of your fear. As you quietly meditate, the Lord may bring to your mind an earlier time when you had an experience that caused you to have this fear. 

PRAY FOR TRUTH TO BE SET FREE

If an earlier memory comes to your mind, identify the beliefs and thoughts that you had at the time, then pray for truth about those beliefs.  Listen quietly and the Lord will give you the truth you need to know to be set free from your fear of that original memory.  If this does not happen, it usually means that you have some anger that you need to release first, because the Lord does not usually speak to us when we are full of anger. Give your anger to the Lord, then pray again and ask for truth and He will most likely give you the truth you need to be set free.

All deep fears are rooted in underlying beliefs that keep us in bondage and fear. Just as Jesus' disciples were afraid of the storm and were afraid that they were going to drown, the Lord taught them the truth that set them free: "I am with you and nothing can harm you when I am in the boat with you."