Defeat fear
Have you ever had a dream that you were falling from the sky or running through your old high school naked? Don’t dismiss these dreams, most of the time they have meaning. As a dreamer, the lord often uses my dreams to communicate with me concerning prophetic warnings and visions. I guess this is the only way as a busy mother that he can focus on and really have me listen.
Over the course of three years, a reoccurring dream has jostled me out of my sleep having me believe I was being swept away into the ocean. Though each dream has been slightly different, I’ve come to realize that they each have represented a warning or circumstance that I was about to approach. Though it can be terrifying having the Lord show you that you’re about to be swept under a spiritual current, there oddly enough has been some peace.
Imagine your back against a wall, Seeing tsunami worthy waves vastly approaching you! Woosh, you are snatched up then dragged down into the depths of the unknown ocean floor. Helplessly you see the encircled light start to close in as you grasp for what once was. Then an emergence of determination and fight arises within you as you begin to kick to the surface. Just as your body submerges to the surface a wave scoops you up again, only this time you are riding the wave and it places you on solid and dry ground. This was my most recent dream. Every part of me thought, “great, here comes another trial I’ll have to get through.”
Sure enough, just three weeks later I was swept off into a spiritual tide and pulled into the darkness of that ocean. The fear of the unknown is paralyzing and debilitating, however, while being swept into that dark place I noticed something. My heart pounded harder and faster than ever, but I also remember the silence, the absence of distraction that enabled me to determine that I was going to fight. Though I have yet to fully breakthrough and ride that wave, there is peace knowing that God will place my feet on dry and solid ground.
Remember Mathew 14:22-33? Peter is startled by the increase of the crashing waves behind Jesus and began to sink into the ocean. Gracefully Jesus reaches down and pulls Peter up. He then points out Peter’s small amount of faith. I don’t know about you but during my trials, I do not want to sink into the depths of the ocean and stay there because of my lack of faith. Though trials come, we should take hold of his hand and keep the faith that he will pick us up and set us up on the solid ground.
As I close out, I want to point out that though there may be darkness, it isn’t always necessarily a bad thing. Where there is darkness, there is quietness, solitude, time away from distractions. Think about Jonah and how God used the darkness of the belly of the whale to be able to grab a hold of Jonah and gain his undivided attention. Remember, you’ve got this! I’ve got this! Ride the wave, embrace the quiet moments of life and press to reach the top, and take hold of Jesus’ hand.
Battleplan against fear:
- Jesus walks on water- Mathew 14:22-33
“Now in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.”
And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying “It is a ghost! And they cried out for rear.”
Mathew 14:29
“So, he said, “come,” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.”
“But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying. “Lord, save me.”
And immediately he stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Exercise:
- Write down three major things that you are experiencing right now and allow yourself to honest and present with how they make you feel.
- What do you believe about those things? Is it truth or is it a lie?
- Ask your heavenly father to grab your hand as he grabbed Peters and allow him to strengthen your faith against those waves and give you peace and revelation.
Prayer against the fear of the coming waves:
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you that you did not give me a spirit of fear but of peace and a sound mind. Where the fear has tried to insert itself into every area of my life, my thoughts, my emotions, and my relationships I ask that you replace it with your wisdom, your peace, and most of all your truth. Strengthen me for the coming waves and help me to ride them rather than to fight them. I surrender all to you father and I trust you through this process. Amen.
Extra scripture to meditate on to battle fear:
- Luke 8:22-25
- Isaiah 41:10
- Hebrews 5:12
- Jeremiah 17:8