Introduction
Fear is a human emotion that is triggered by a perceived threat. Fear is a basic survival mechanism that signals our bodies to respond to danger with a fight or flight response. As such, it is an essential part of keeping us safe. However, when people live in constant fear, whether from physical dangers in their environment or threats they perceive, they can become incapacitated.
Fear prepares us to react to danger. Once we sense a potential danger, our body releases hormones that:
- Slow or shut down functions not needed for survival (such as our digestive system).
- Sharpen functions that might help us survive (such as eyesight). Our heart rate increases, and blood flows to muscles so we can run faster.
- Our body also increases the flow of hormones to an area of the brain known as the amygdala to help us focus on the presenting danger and store it in our memory.
Living under constant fear has serious health consequences.
- Fear weakens our immune system and can cause cardiovascular damage, gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome, and decreased fertility. It can lead to accelerated ageing and even premature death.
- Fear can impair formation of long-term memories and cause damage to certain parts of the brain. This can make it even more difficult to regulate fear and can leave a person anxious most of the time. To someone in chronic fear, the world looks scary and their memories confirm that.
- Fear can interrupt processes in our brains that allow us to regulate emotions, read non-verbal cues and other information presented to us, reflect before acting, and act ethically. This impacts our thinking and decision-making in negative ways, leaving us susceptible to intense emotions and impulsive reactions. All of these effects can leave us unable to act appropriately.
Other consequences of long-term fear include fatigue, clinical depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Zach Williams Lyrics
"Fear Is A Liar"
When he told you you're not good enough
When he told you you're not right
When he told you you're not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you're not worthy
When he told you you're not loved
When he told you you're not beautiful
That you'll never be enough
Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
Cause fear he is a liar
Please turn in your Bible to Philippians 4:5b-8
5 The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Paul is in prison in Rome facing trial, not knowing if he will live or die. The Philippian church is under great persecution from the culture, are dealing with false teachers and with internal conflict in the church. Times are difficult, yet Paul tells the church “Do not be anxious about anything…” In other words, Don’t Fear!
Much like Paul’s time, we find ourselves surrounded by those who hate and despise Christianity. We are considered “intolerant” and even bigots when we stand up for what the Bible says. Today, our culture accepts just about anything except the God of the Bible and His absolute truths. At the same time, there is more and more violence directed towards our schools and our churches. I thought it was sad when we had to start locking up the church because thieves would steal our sound equipment. Now, churches fear someone coming in during a prayer meeting or worship service and shoot up the place. If we cannot feel safe at church, where can we feel safe?
1 Peter 5:7 says to, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”
Regardless of our situation, we should never fear because God is near. Instead, pray with thanksgiving about every situation.
Body
I. Thankful prayer brings divine peace
Explanation
Verse 7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding… The peace that comes from praying (rather than fearing) is of divine origin.
Unfortunately, when they face trials, believers often seem to forget what they know about God. They lose their confident trust in Him, lose their self-control and spiritual stability, and are defeated. People become worried, anxious, and fearful because they do not trust in God's wisdom, power, or goodness. They fear that God is not wise enough, strong enough, or good enough to prevent disaster. It may be that this sinful doubt is because their knowledge of Him is faulty, or that sin in their lives has crippled their faith. Thankful prayer brings release from fear and worry, because it affirms God's sovereign control over every circumstance, and that His purpose is the believer's good (MacArthur, 283).
Even strong believers are not immune to an occasional lapse, as an incident from the life of David reveals. Seeking refuge from Saul's relentless pursuit, David sought asylum in the Philistine city of Gath. Some of the Philistines recognized him and said to Achish, the king of Gath, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?" (1 Sam. 21:11). Realizing that his true identity had become known, "David... greatly feared Achish king of Gath" (v. 12). Instead of trusting God to deliver him, David panicked and "disguised his sanity before [the Philistines], and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard" (v. 13). His act produced the desired results: "Then Achish said to his servants, 'Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me? Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this one to act the madman in my presence? Shall this one come into my house?'" (vv. 14-15).
Fear caused David to run directly into the enemy camp in Gad, the hometown of Goliath
Fear caused David to pretend to be insane
"David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam" (1 Sam. 22:1).
There, with the crisis past, David had time to reflect on how he should have handled the situation in Gath. In Psalm 57, written at that time, he reaffirmed the truths about God that he had temporarily forgotten. (McArthur, 277)
Psalms 57:1-3
Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me. He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth. (Ps. 57:1-3)
David came to his senses while in the cave and wrote this beautiful Psalm. He said, “I will cry to God Most High.” David prayed, divine peace came, and the fear had to flee. God was with David all the time. God was near, but David allowed the situation to bring in fear, and fear took control of his mind and actions.
Fear causes people to do some stupid, dangerous things. What is causing you to fear today? Remember: never fear, God is near. Call to God in prayer and the Peace of God that surpasses all understanding will make the fear flee.
We know that that thankful prayer brings divine peace.
II. Thankful prayer guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus
The end of Vs 7 says, “…will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Will guard is a military term used of soldiers on guard duty. This term would have been quite familiar in Philippi. Philippi was a Roman colony that had Roman guards stationed to protect their interests. What does a guard do? A guard keeps things out that the king wants to stay out and keep things in that the king wants to stay in. No one passes in our out without being checked by the guard.
When we call to God in thankful prayer, then Jesus Christ, Himself, guards our hearts and minds. True peace can be found in no other name but the name of Jesus. No matter what the circumstances, call on God and Jesus Christ, our Lord, protects us.
We know that that thankful prayer brings divine peace, and guards our hearts and minds.
III. Thankful prayer brings right thinking
Let’s take another look at Vs 8. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Have you heard the term “GIGO”? It stands for “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” It is used in the modern computer world as a way of describing how a computer works. A computer is only as good as what is put into it. For example, engineers use computer programs to model how things work. It is amazing how much time and money is saved by taking the power of a computer, which never sleeps, to crunch numbers to solve complex problems. However, if the engineer feeds the computer bad information then bad solutions can result in disastrous situations. Therefore, the term “Garbage in, Garbage Out.”
Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” Our brains are much like a computer. If we think on the wrong things then we will get the wrong answer and disastrous things happen. So, how do we insure we are thinking right? It starts with thankful prayer.
Let’s look at what is involved in right thinking.
Whatever is TRUE – What is “true?” God’s Word is true.
Whatever is RIGHT – What is “right?” God’s Word is right.
Whatever is NOBLE – What is “noble?” God’s Word is noble.
Whatever is PURE – What is “pure?” God’s Word is pure.
Whatever is LOVELY – What is “lovely?” God’s Word is lovely.
Whatever is ADMIRABLE – What is “admirable?” God’s Word is admirable.
Whatever is EXCELLENT – What is “Excellent?” God’s Word is excellent.
Whatever is PRAISEWORTHY – What is “Praiseworthy?” God’s Word is praiseworthy!
Paul’s call is for Biblical thinking! This is especially relevant in our culture. The focus today is on emotion and pragmatism, and the importance of serious thinking about biblical truth is downplayed and dismissed as old-fashioned, irrelevant, and even offensive. People no longer ask, “Is it true?” or “Is it right?” or “Is it noble?” or “Is it pure?” or “Is it lovely?” or “Is it admirable? or “Is it excellent?” or “Is it praiseworthy?” Instead, they ask, “How does it make me feel?” or “Does it work?” or “Does it offend anyone?” or “What’s in it for me?” Our society rejects the idea of absolute truth and embraces the idea of whatever works for me. If it produces positive emotions then it is OK.
In fact, the CHURCH has allowed this same emotionalism to creep in. The church is often more concerned with whether something will be divisive or offensive than whether it is biblically true! Far too many people go to church, not to think or reason about the truths of Scripture, but to get their weekly spiritual high, to feel God, to cry some crocodile tears, to sooth their conscience, and to feel better. Our church goers are becoming more and more anti-intellectual and anti-critical thinking…anti-biblical thinking. Instead of living by faith, many Christians are living by feelings.
An unsaved mind is a depraved, carnal mind, focused on self, which leads to hostility towards God, hardened to spiritual truth, blinded by Satan, futile, ignorant, defiled, and eventually leads to spiritual death.
A saved mind leads to a sound/spiritual mind, having the mind of Christ, focused on spiritual things, which leads to love towards God, soft and pliable to spiritual truth, eyes opened to God, holy, good, righteous, and eventually leads to eternal life.
Biblical faith is not an irrational “leap in the dark.” It is not a mystical encounter. It isn’t optimism, psychological self-hypnosis, or wishful thinking. True faith is a reasoned response to the truth revealed in the Bible prompted by the Holy Spirit.
Right thinking is essential to saving faith, as well as sanctifying faith.
Thankful prayer brings divine peace, guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, and brings right thinking…biblical thinking.
Conclusion
Are you fearful? Are you afraid of something you are facing right now in your life?
Don’t fear, God is near. Instead, make your specific petitions known to God through Thankful Prayer! It will bring you divine peace, will guard your heart and mind, and will bring right thinking.
If you are dealing with a circumstance that has you bound and frozen in fear, the time to break that bond of fear is now.
Cast all your anxiety on him for he cares for you!
