Reason #4: What You Fear Will Come Upon You!

(Job 3:25 NLT)  What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true.

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life,” by continuing with our teaching on “The Fear Factor” and reasons why not to fear.  Reason #4 is a big one: “Because what you fear will come on you!”  Just like your Godly belief and faith open the door for the things of God to happen in your life, your negative belief and fear opens the door for the things of the enemy to happen.  In many ways fear is just like faith, but in a negative form.  The more afraid of something you become, the more susceptible to it you are.

Most believers know the story of Job, but most don’t know that Job allowed fear to open the door for some of the terrible things that happened in his life.  Job chapter one opens with these words; “A man named Job lived in Uz.  He was a man of integrity: He was decent, he feared God, and he stayed away from evil.  He had seven sons and three daughters.  He owned 7,000 sheep and goats, 3,000 camels, 1,000 oxen, 500 donkeys, and a large number of servants.  He was the richest and most influential person in the Middle East.  His sons used to go to each other’s homes, where they would have parties.  (Each brother took his turn having a party.)  They would send someone to invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.  When they finished having their parties, Job would send for them in order to cleanse them from sin.  He would get up early in the morning and sacrifice burnt offerings for each of them.  Job thought, “My children may have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.”  Job offered sacrifices for them all the time” (Job 1:1-5).

While it does not seem like a bad thing for a parent to get up early in the morning and intercede with the Lord on behalf of their children, the issue is a matter of motivation.  Job did these daily sacrifices – one for each child – because he was afraid that is he didn’t that something bad would happen to them.  While the ritual and routine seemed innocent enough, it was not done in faith.  Actually, Job was doing this out of fear and we all know what happened to his children.  Later on, as our focus text points out, Job said, “What I always feared has happened to me.  What I dreaded has come true.”

You may be thinking, “But Rick, what does this have to do with prayer?”  Actually, it has a lot to do with it.  You can substitute the sacrifices Job was making with prayer and the same can happen.  If you get up early every morning and pray for your children, marriage, health, career, finances, relationships, community, and etc., but you do it out of fear that if you don’t something bad will happen, then your prayers will not be effective.  We are supposed to pray in-faith not in-fear.  Not only do fear based prayers have no power, but even worse, when you fear you are literally opening the door for the thing that you fear to come upon you.

So what does this mean to you today?  It means that you can stop the cycle of fear in your life.  This series is designed to expose the schemes of the enemy, so that you can live a victorious life in Christ and experience a powerful and effective prayer life.  So instead of expressing confidence in the negative, simply doubt it!  For example, have you ever had struggles with believing God?  Have you ever had to make a conscious effort to overcome doubt?  Doubt will stop you from seeing the manifestation of God’s best in your life.  If you doubt it will lead to a faith-failure.  Well, the opposite is also true.  When the enemy puts a negative thought in your mind, a thought that goes against what you are praying for in-faith, then simply tell him, “I doubt it!”  If you start doubting what the enemy can do to you, you will experience fear-failures.  Believe me, you want your fear to fail and your faith to succeed!  Close every negative door your fear has opened.

Closing Confession:  Father, I live by faith.  My life functions by faith.  Everything I do in Your Kingdom I do by faith.  I declare that I will not doubt You, but I will doubt whatever negative thing the enemy puts in my mind.  I refuse to open any negative doors with fear.  Fear will not and does not rule over me.  I refuse to give space to the devil.  I doubt what He says and I believe what You say and what You have said in Your Word concerning me!  No longer will I allow fear to dilute and nullify my prayers.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!