Have you ever been afraid? Did you feel anxious about doing something new, or speaking to a group of people? Fear is a normal reaction to the unknown. Sometimes our imaginations can generate fear. Say if you meet a bear or mountain lion, you may be scared.
Many people have anxiety disorders, which cause panic attacks when a trauma memory is triggered. This is different than being afraid to speak in front of people or go to a job interview. I overcame fear by changing my thinking. I overcame my anxiety disorder by healing and changing my trauma memories. I also relied on the power of the Holy Spirit to help me take my thoughts captive and transform them with the truth of God’s word. I knew I was free from fear and anxiety when I went to Africa.
How I Overcame My Fear.
I just came back from a 17-day trip to Africa, and I was not overcome by fear, nor did I have any panic attacks. In contrast, when I went to Israel eight years ago, I had to take anxiety medication. I chose Genexa, which is an all-natural chewable pill that worked great to help me relax. I was very fearful because my thoughts would conjure up all kinds of events that would never happen, but what if they did? This time, when I went to Africa, I practiced what I wrote about in Who or What Controls You? When I would begin to entertain fearful thoughts, I would take them captive by
- Acknowledging them,
- Putting them out of my mind in Jesus’ name,
- Then think or speak the truth to replace fear with trust.
For example, when the flight over was turbulent for 15 hours, I prayed and kept my mind on the power and protection of God. I pushed away fearful thoughts of crashing into the ocean and centered on trusting God. I imagined that angels were flying with that flight to make sure the plane didn’t split apart from all the turbulence. I maintained my peace and did not have to take my anxiety medicine. I realized I was still internalizing anxiety because I could not urinate for the whole flight, so by the time I got to Cape Town, I was in excruciating pain. It took a while to get to the bathroom at the airport, which also caused some anxiety, but I did not panic.
The next piece of evidence that I had overcome anxiety was when we got a flat tire on the safari through Etosha, Namibia’s National Wildlife Park. It included lions and other predator animals, and you were told not to exit your vehicle. We all had to get out of the car to help lift the car to get the jack under it, which was a sandy road. My husband was the only strong person, as our hosts were 81 and 77, respectively. Then there was me, who was not much help. I asked, is it safe to get out of the car? Our host was driving his son’s vehicle and did not know how to get to the spare tire. Thankfully, he had a satellite phone and could call his son. We finally got back on the road, and not even a mile down the road was a herd of elephants. I got afraid when a hippo chased our fishing boat on the Okavango River. The captain assured me that he was just playing with us, then told the story of a hippo that bit the side of his boat and nearly sank it. I had many opportunities to trust God instead of being fearful. Do you find it hard to trust God? Why?
Overcoming Anxiety
Anxiety is situational fear. Many people are disabled because of situational fear or must take medication to stay calm. People say they can’t go to church because they get anxiety around a group of people. You don’t have to be anxious about anything when you pray about everything. Anxiety usually is the result of a bad experience or a traumatic event. For example, when you have an accident, you may be anxious every time you get into a car or pass the place where the accident happened. The level of anxiety depends on how much emotion was stored related to the painful event. Or, how much fear is stored related to the event. Freedom from anxiety occurs when you seek God to heal the emotional response and change the negative experience by being thankful for something. So, when you have a panic attack, do the following.
- Ask God to show you why you had the panic attack.
- Forgive the people who caused you pain to remove the power they have over your reactions.
- Ask God to remove the negative emotion of the memory from your Hippocampus.
- Implant a thankful thought into that memory to remove the trigger. You can be thankful it wasn’t worse, or you weren’t alone, or that God rescued and healed you, etc.
- Transform the unhealthy beliefs you adopted because of the painful event with a Biblical truth. See my worksheets for truth samples you can adopt.
Most people know Philippians 4:6-7, which states, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 )And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Prayer and thankfulness are necessary to achieve the peace we desperately desire. Prayer is a humble submission of trust that God keeps what you commit to Him. That He is able to protect and provide for you, to answer prayer, and so on. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 also tells us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Conclusion
I was paralyzed by fear and anxiety for many years. I can assure you that you don’t have to be paralyzed by fear or anxiety. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, fearful thoughts can be replaced by trusting God, who keeps His promises. Anxiety-inducing memories can be healed and replaced with thankfulness and the truth in God’s word that helps you trust Him. If you have a problem with fearful thoughts or situational anxiety, there is hope. I give many practical tips on how to be an overcomer in my book, which is found on my website. You can also read my posts on the power of thoughts and on trusting God.
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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of relevant promises to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.
If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.
Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and what the truths are. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles. My post called Breaking Mental Strongholds Book. Also, check out Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. To learn more about this book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.
Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.
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