I'M AFRAID
When fear starts to control you.
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU'RE AFRAID OF?
It could be an illness.
An answer you're waiting for.
The future.
Your family.
Your work.
Money.
Or a fear that comes suddenly, without you even understanding why.
You try to make it go away.
But it comes back.
What do you do when fear begins to control your thoughts and your life?
WHAT IF FEAR COULD GO AWAY?
Someone else has gone through fear just like this.
The fear was real.
He felt it.
It wasn't just a passing thought that came and went.
But one day, something happened.
The fear left.
And what had been holding him captive no longer ruled him.
Then the question is:
What did he do?
HERE IS WHAT HE DID
When the fear came back, he didn't keep asking himself:
“How can I calm myself down?”
He did something different.
In faith, he said:
“Devil, leave in the name of JESUS.”
And according to his testimony, right then he saw some shadows leaving his body.
Then something happened that he had never experienced before:
The fear left.
And he was set free from the fear that had been holding him captive every night.
Now the question is:
Why did he say, “in the name of JESUS”?
WHY JESUS?
He didn't believe he had some special power within himself.
He wasn't using a magic phrase.
He was relying on JESUS.
Because he had learned that JESUS has authority.
But how did he know that?
Because when we open the Bible and look at JESUS, again and again we see people facing things they could not control by their own strength.
And then we see what JESUS did.
THE DISCIPLES WERE AFRAID
One day JESUS was in a boat with His disciples.
Suddenly, a violent storm began.
The waves crashed over the boat, and water was coming in.
The disciples were afraid.
They realized they were in danger.
They could not stop the wind.
They could not calm the sea.
They were facing something they could not control.
JESUS SPOKE TO THE STORM
JESUS stood up.
He spoke to the wind.
He spoke to the sea.
And the storm became calm.
Then He asked His disciples why they had been afraid.
Look at what happened:
They were afraid.
The situation was bigger than they were.
But it was not bigger than JESUS.
JESUS spoke.
And what had filled them with fear became calm.
But that happened then.
What about today?
HE TOO WAS FACING FEAR
The witness wasn't in a boat.
There wasn't a storm in front of his eyes.
But there was something else:
fear.
And he wasn't able to make it go away by his own strength.
Then he did what he had learned.
He didn't rely on himself.
He relied on JESUS.
He said:
“Devil, leave in the name of JESUS.”
And according to his testimony, the fear left.
Then another question arises:
What do these two stories have in common?
WHAT HAPPENED THEN, AND WHAT HAPPENED TODAY?
Then:
The disciples were afraid.
They were facing something they could not control.
JESUS spoke.
And the storm became calm.
Today:
The witness was afraid.
He wasn't able to make the fear go away by his own strength.
He relied on JESUS.
He spoke in His name.
And according to his testimony, the fear left.
So the question isn't only:
“Does fear exist?”
The question is:
“Will I allow fear to rule my life?”
SHOULD I ACCEPT FEAR AS PART OF MY LIFE?
Not every danger is imaginary.
There are times when you need to be careful.
But being careful is not the same as being controlled by fear.
Fear can begin to make decisions for you.
It can stop you.
Keep you awake.
Fill your mind only with what might go wrong.
The witness reached a point where he no longer wanted to live under fear.
He made a choice:
he turned to JESUS.
WHAT CAN I DO WHEN FEAR COMES?
First, don't deny the fear.
Say it clearly:
“I'm afraid.”
But don't stop there.
Turn to JESUS.
The witness didn't try to find strength within himself.
He relied on JESUS and on His authority.
That doesn't mean you need to memorize a sentence.
It means you need to know:
who you are relying on.
And that leads to another question:
Who is JESUS?
And what does it mean for me to rely on Him?
JESUS IS NOT JUST A NAME
If you say:
“In the name of JESUS”
without knowing who JESUS is, the words can remain only words.
Because His name is not a magic formula.
JESUS did not come merely so that people could use His name.
He came so that people could return to God and be reconciled to Him.
So before you rely on the name of JESUS, you need to know:
Who is JESUS?
And what has He done for me?
JESUS said:
“I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the FATHER except through me.”
So if you want to rely on JESUS, the question becomes personal:
Do I truly know JESUS, or have I only heard about Him?
HOW DO I BEGIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM?
It doesn't begin by learning a lot of rules.
It doesn't begin by trying to make yourself perfect.
It begins by coming to JESUS just as you are.
By trusting Him.
By receiving Him as the Lord and Savior of your life.
Because the Way to the FATHER is JESUS.
And if this is what you truly desire, you can tell God simply, in your own words.
A SIMPLE PRAYER
It is not a formula that saves you.
What matters is that you are coming to JESUS with faith and sincerity.
You can say:
FATHER,
I come to You just as I am.
I believe in JESUS, and I believe that He is my Lord and Savior.
Forgive me for my sins.
I receive JESUS as the Lord of my life.
Draw me close to You.
Teach me to know You and to walk with You.
I want to begin a new life with You.
In the name of JESUS. Amen.
NOW GO BACK TO YOUR FEAR
Do you remember the question we started with?
What are you afraid of?
Don't keep it only in your mind.
Bring it to God.
Tell the FATHER, in your own words, what is frightening you.
You don't need beautiful words.
You only need to be honest with Him.
And when fear tries to rule you, remember this:
the witness did not rely on his own strength.
He relied on JESUS.
You can simply say to the FATHER:
“FATHER, You know what is frightening me.
I am trusting You.
Help me not to live under this fear.”
And when fear rises again, don't rely on your own strength.
Rely on JESUS.
Stand on what He has said.
DON'T LET FEAR WRITE YOUR STORY
At the beginning, you had only one question:
“I'm afraid. What do I do?”
Then you saw a witness.
He was afraid.
He didn't rely on his own strength.
He relied on JESUS.
And according to his testimony, the fear left.
Then you saw the disciples.
They were afraid too.
The storm was greater than their strength.
JESUS spoke.
And the storm became calm.
Now you don't have to pretend that fear doesn't exist.
But you don't have to let it direct your life either.
When fear comes:
Turn to JESUS.
Tell the FATHER what is frightening you.
Trust Him.
Stand on what He has said.
And see what happens.
Because if one day the fear that has been holding you captive goes away...
it will no longer be only someone else's story.
IT WILL BE YOUR TESTIMONY.