Fear Is A Hindrance To Success

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If it’s God’s will to give us the kingdom, then why are so many people struggling?

Here are five hindrances to your success and receiving a surplus of prosperity.

Fear. . .of the unknown.  Fear of failure.

Doubt. . .that God will do what He says He will do in His word.

Anxiety. . .over the current economic, viruses and political landscape.

Hesitation. . .to give what God says to give because of our perceived limitations and lack.

Disbelief. . .over whether everything promised in the Bible applies to “me.”

Notice the progression of the five hindrances. . .one builds upon the next one.

Today, we were going to teach in depth on the five tricks of the devil.  However, I received a clear word to teach on them individually

I was further directed to teach them as He directed and when He directed.

Tonight, we are going to teach on fear.

As we said recently and taught for years. . .Fear is the devil’s anointing.

We want you to write in the following statement where you can see it…remember it…believe it…confess it…until it’s manifested in your life.

“Fear is the devil’s anointing but I rebuke it because it has no place in my life.”

Make no mistake about it. . .the enemy will continually try to bring fear into your mental thought process.

Have you ever known anyone who was a prisoner of war?

I’ve had the honor of getting to know some brave men who were taken captive by the enemy and endured the horrors of being a prisoner of war.  These men will tell you that the enemy creates an environment for brainwashing.

The enemy tries to break down your resistance. . by feeding you a consistent diet of hopelessness and fear.  The enemy controls the interrogation process with just one objective. . .break the captive’s will to live or resist. . .so they will abandon their sense of right and wrong.

The devil would like nothing better than to make you a mental prisoner of war.  He tries to create an atmosphere of panic and uncertainty . . . then he will bring negative thoughts into your mind. . .trying to make you think you have no way of escape.  He wants to replace your faith with fear. . .your determination with his doubt. . .your past with his future for you.

The enemy of your success. . .your call and anointing in this life. . .wants to replace it with fear. . .and he understands that you were born with only two natural fears:  falling and loud noises. All other fears are acquired.

Fear resulting from past failures often become deeply embedded within us, A lack of confidence bred unknowingly by our parents or a relative can be enforced by society’s general negativity and short-sighted thinking.

Your loving Heavenly Father understands the strategies of the enemy.  He knows that if the enemy has you living in fear he can destroy or at least neutralize the anointing on your life.

The Bible teaches us that fear is not of Him.

Question. . .how many times does God have to tell us something for us to believe it?

Once should be enough.

Would it be fair to say that if God wants you to really get something He will say it more than once?

In the King James Version of the Bible we’re told nine times that we should be “born again.”

So I think it’s fair to say that being born again is significant and obviously important to God. However, the phrase “fear not” is in the King James Bible a total of 63 times.  So I’d say God wants us to understand that fear is NOT of Him or endorsed by Him.

John Newton, who wrote my favorite hymn “Amazing Grace,” once said:

“If the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayer - His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable."

With quote in mind. . .let’s talk about seven fears that will destroy our success.

1.     Fear of failure.

Joshua 8:1says:

“And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up….”

Here are seven keys to help you overcome a fear of failure.

First, accept your mistakes.

Second, stop trying so hard to do it yourself.

Third, ask Him for help in overcoming your fear of failure.

Fourth, ask those closest to your for help in overcoming your fear of failure.

Fifth, learn to say “no” if God’s not in it.  You don’t have to accept every assignment. . .use wisdom.

Sixth, don’t let “yes” become “no” just because you feel afraid.

Seventh, remember, fear is the devil’s anointing.

The only thing you have to change about failure and overcoming it. . .is simply to change your mind or your way of thinking.

Ephesians 3:12 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).”

When our confidence is born in faith it gives us a boldness in knowing we can achieve anything. . .regardless of the obstacles.

Fear flees when confidence in God’s Word shows up.

2.     Fear of the unknown.

Remember. . .fear is a weapon of choice in the kingdom of darkness. That should make you resolved enough. . .right there. . .to want to overcome it.

If your enemy can keep you fearful of the unknown. . .he can keep you from experiencing the future and the destiny God planned for you.

Here are seven ways to deal with a fear of the unknown.

First, identify and understand the fear you are dealing with.

Second, determine the risk/reward ratio.

Third, see yourself overcoming the identified fears.

Fourth, create a plan for the task ahead.

Fifth, work the plan. . .one step at a time.

Sixth, laugh at the enemy’s attempts to torment you.

Seventh, make the unknown. . .known. . .and deal with it... with God’s help.

Psalm 56:3 says:

“What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You.”

Henry Ford said:

“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do.”

3.     Fear of death or disability.

If you have a fear of dying. . .just remember, who’s the author of fear? Or for that matter the author and controller of death?

Three things. . .

First, if you’re concerned about what will happen to your family when you’re gone. . .create a defined plan for their future.  Write out any thoughts, ideas and/or instructions you want to leave your loved ones.

But understand this… you aren’t going anywhere until God gives His permission. Psalm 139:16 in the English Standard Version says God saw and knew you before you were born and numbered your days before you ever lived one of them:

“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

Only you and God can change that…the devil cannot.

Second, take comfort in the Word about your destination.

 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 in The Living Bible says:

“Now we look forward with confidence to our heavenly bodies, realizing that every moment we spend in these earthly bodies is time spent away from our eternal home in heaven with Jesus.  We know these things are true by believing, not by seeing. And we are not afraid but are quite content to die, for then we will be at home with the Lord.”

Third, stop thinking about death. . .and start thinking about what you can do for the Kingdom of God while you’re still around.

Hebrews 2:14-15 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“Since, therefore, [these His] children share in flesh and blood [in the physical nature of human beings], He [Himself] in a similar manner partook of the same [nature], that by [going through] death He might bring to nought and make of no effect him who had the power of death—that is, the devil—And also that He might deliver and completely set free all those who through the [haunting] fear of death were held in bondage throughout the whole course of their lives.”

4.     Fear of tomorrow.

Here are seven keys to overcoming your fear of tomorrow.

First, let the Word of God change your spiritual viewpoint.

Second, which will change your attitude.

Third, which will change your outlook.

Fourth, which will change your perspective.

Fifth, which will ultimately change your modus operandi (your way of doing things).

Sixth, change how you plan your day. . .if you previously planned it at all.

Seventh, remember, your glass is always half full or better.

How do you overcome the fear of what may or may happen tomorrow?  The Word!

Matthew 6:34 in The Message says:

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

5.     Fear of doing nothing.

Dale Carnegie once said:

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

On this point. . .one scripture should get you up and moving.

James 4:17 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.”

6.     Fear of rejection.

When it comes to a fear of rejection. . .ask God if He will reveal where this fear  originated. Often understanding the source will help you overcome it but regardless… remember this one thing.  The fear of rejection is meant to paralyze and cripple those with potential.

Notice I said. . .this fear of rejection. . .on purpose . . . I did not say “your” fear of rejection because it doesn’t belong to you unless you decide to make it yours.

If you feel rejected. . . you are in good company.

John 15:18 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you.”

No one can steal your potential without your permission.

Rejection comes from the outside and wants to live on the inside. If you reject the rejection and live unto the Spirit of God . . .  nothing from the outside can penetrate.

7.     Fear of what people will say.

People don’t pay your bills.

People don’t do your job.

People don’t walk in your shoes. . .so they have no functional clue on how it feels to be you.

People will not account for your sin or what you’ve done for the Kingdom since you’ve been saved.

Therefore, if you let what others say control who you are…then who are you?  Their puppets or your own person?

People who talk about others. . .are often envious or at a minimum. . .self-absorbed. They don’t care about you … it’s all about them.

I remember the day I stopped thinking or worrying about what other people thought.  It was when I realized that what other people thought about me. . .would never determine my worth and value to God.

Matthew 5:11 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of your outward conditions) are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you falsely on My account.”

To the seven fears we’ve identified. . .we could add the following common fears:  lack, loneliness, abandonment, people, authority, commitment, heights, germs, closed-in spaces, airplanes, dogs, cats, snakes, anything creepy or crawling,  being laughed at, being fat, being skinny, being old and even fear of being attractive or ugly.

Here are seven scriptures which reveal the only kind of fear you should ever have and equally important. . .how you’re blessed by it.

First, when you fear the Lord you have everything you need.

Pastor Sunday Adelaja said:

“Without the fear of God it is impossible to say ‘No’ to temptations and evil.”

Psalm 34:9 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“O fear the Lord, you His saints [revere and worship Him]! For there is no want to those who truly revere and worship Him with godly fear.”

The Living Bible translation of Psalm 34:9 says:

“If you belong to the Lord, reverence him; for everyone who does this has everything he needs.”

Oswald Sanders, the renowned theologian and author, once said:

“The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”

Can somebody say “Hallelujah!”

Second, the fear of the Lord brings wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

Psalm 111:10 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the Lord]. Their praise of Him endures forever.”

Charles Spurgeon, the amazing pastor and author, once said:

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom."

Third, fear the Lord and delight in wisdom, instruction and discipline.

Proverbs 1:7 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.”

Fourth, those who fear the Lord hate evil and all its running buddies.

Proverbs 8:13 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“The reverent fear and worshipful awe of the Lord [includes] the hatred of evil; pride, arrogance, the evil way, and perverted and twisted speech I hate.”

Fifth, the fear of the Lord will give you a long life.

Proverbs 10:27 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord prolongs one’s days, but the years of the wicked shall be made short.”

Proverbs 10:27 in The Living Bible says:

“Reverence for God adds hours to each day; so how can the wicked expect a long, good life?”

Sixth, the fear of the Lord brings honor.

Proverbs 15:33 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord brings instruction in Wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”

Seventh, the fear of the Lord brings riches, honor and a long life.

Proverbs 22:4 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“The reward of humility and the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.”

One last verse. . .

Isaiah 41:10 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.”

Pastor Rick Warren said:

“Fear is a self-imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be. You must move against it with the weapons of faith and love.”

One last quote. . .this one from Max Lucado, a prolific author, who gave us some great advice when he said:

 “Meet your fears with faith.”

Those five words. . .give us real direction on how to remove fear as a hindrance to our success and prosperity.

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