10 Emboldening Scriptures to Pray Against Fear

Do you battle with fear?

Maybe it isn’t an ongoing battle but one you feel like you keep going back to, over and over again.

You thought you’d dealt with it and then a specific situation brings it right back up!

Your knees knock into each other every time you get up to present at work.

Your temperature skyrockets moments before you introduce yourself to a new person.

Your mind spins through a series “what ifs” the moment you step on an aircraft.

I don’t think there’s a single person on this planet who’s a stranger to fear or anxiety. I believe the same goes for those who’ve walked before us…

Gideon battled with fear in the face of war against the Midianites (Judges 6).

Moses experienced fear at the thought of speaking to and on behalf of the Israelites (Exodus 4).

Elijah, though previously full of boldness, was fearful after receiving a threat to his life (1 Kings 19).

Yet, today these men are esteemed as Bible heroes because they didn’t remain in that place of fear. They each received a word from God, a promise from their Good Father that countered that fear.

Fear is a natural part of the human experience. But it shouldn’t be our norm.

God wants more for us than to live in fear.

So, He gives us not only His presence but also His Word. Never underestimate the power of speaking and praying God’s Word over yourself, others and any situation!

The Word of God is our offensive weapon among all the spiritual armour God decks us with (Ephesians 6). It releases power and brings transformation. You just need to know it and speak it to witness that power in your life.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

10 scriptures for fear

And with that, here are 10 scriptures you can turn to in moments of fear.

#1 God hasn’t given me a spirit of fear

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

The Spirit God gives us doesn’t come with fear. When you encounter a spirit of fear, it can be tempting to normalise it as a coping mechanism, to stop yourself from overreacting. But Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7 that fear doesn’t come from God. So, we have the authority to tell it to leave and replace it with His Spirit of power, love and self-discipline (or, sound judgement according to the Christian Standard Bible translation).

#2 God’s perfect love overcomes all fear

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18 (NIV)

It makes sense to think that the opposite of fear is courage and that they are mutually exclusive. But scripture tells us something else. Apparently, the enemy of fear is love. What?! How?

The only type of love we can describe as perfect is the love of God, right? God’s love is complete and unconditional, nothing can separate us from it (Romans 8:38-39). When we truly receive God’s love, it’s so complete in us that it leaves no room for fear. It’s in those moments we experience fear that we need a fresh revelation of God’s perfect love.

#3 The Spirit of God in me is greater than any other

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

1 John 4:4

Did you know that the moment you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, His Spirit makes a home within you? Yep, the Spirit of the living God. The maker of the heavens and the earth. The one who is above and before all things.

That means that by the Spirit of Jesus in you, you’ve received the same authority to overcome anything. I mean it, anything. If David could conquer Goliath with the Spirit of God on him but not in him, you’re capable of even greater things!

I think that’s incredible but sometimes, I forget that’s the case. And when fear threatens its way back in, this scripture reminds me of this powerful truth.

#4 God goes with me everywhere

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

When you’re a child of God, you carry the presence of God. This means that no matter where your foot treads, God goes there with you.

And this goes beyond covering and protection – when you carry God’s presence, you inevitably impact the spaces and places you walk into by bringing the Spirit of God into that sphere. How cool is that?!

#5 God holds my right hand

For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Isaiah 41:13

Just as a parent holds a child’s hand when they’re crossing the road, walking through crowded places or treading into a hazardous area, God does the same with you and me. He gives us that squeeze of reassurance to let us know He’s still right there beside us.

He’s not going anywhere.

#6 God will not allow me to be shaken

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Psalm 55:22

God cares about the things you care about. Even the irrational fears you hold, He wants you to tell Him about it and let Him in. Only then can He give you something far more powerful in return – His Spirit to sustain and strengthen you; mind, body, soul and spirit.

So, you know that no matter what circumstance you face, you remain unshakable as you anchor yourself in the Lord.  

#7 God will never leave me

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

Deuteronomy 31:8

Guess what? There’s no place you can go that God hasn’t already been. He knows your steps before you even take them. And God doesn’t just go before you; He takes those steps with you. Take comfort in knowing that with God, you’re never alone.

#8 I have access to God’s peace

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 14:27

The world promises us all different kinds of peace – a sense of calmness through meditation, peace of mind through financial security, freedom from disturbance through “me time”, relaxation through peaceful music…but these solutions are all circumstantial.

The minute another factor enters in and disrupts the situation – a plane flying overhead, recession, a noisy child or the phone dying – that peace vanishes.

Not so with the peace that God gives. The Bible tells us that the peace of God “transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). It’s the kind of peace that remains regardless of circumstance. A peace that guards your mind from being gripped by fear.

#9 God is with me

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

Life comes with its valley seasons. As we’re imperfect people living in an imperfect world, there’s no avoiding it. Sometimes, with these dark seasons, fear of the future also makes its way in. What if this is it for me? What if I never recover from this? What if there’s no way out?

The thing is, with God if we’re suffering, that’s not the end of His story for us. He’s the God of restoration. He makes a way when there seems to be no way. And until we see that manifest in our lives, like David, we can take comfort in knowing God is with us.

#10 God is my helper

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

Hebrews 13:6

I believe the fear that plagues every one of us to some extent, is the fear of others. Fear of what they’ll think. Fear of what they’ll say. Fear of what they’ll do. We get so caught up in fearing other people’s opinions of us that we forget that compared to our almighty God, they are but mere mortals. What does it matter what they think, say or do?

With God as your advocate and helper, there’s no reason to fear!