Praying against the Bully of Fear

by Katy Kauffman

Making a difference can be a fearful thing. A thousand questions can stop us in our tracks. Will they like me? Will they reject me? Is this really God’s will? Wonder if it doesn’t turn out well? Wonder if I fail?

We have been given a spirit to overcome the fears that plague us, that bully us.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
(2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)

How does this verse help us overcome the obstacle of fear? We can remember that God stays involved. He is on the job. He knows what fears can take us out, and He arms us with what we need to stay strong. He works within us to develop the power to overcome weakness, the love to overcome apathy, and the sound mind to overcome doubts and anxieties.

With the right mindset, our “mode of operation” is no longer paralyzing fear, but freeing faith. We can depend on the One who strengthens us the most, loves us the best, and instills us with the truth.

Since God stays involved while we’re fighting to win the victory, what can we count on? Anything is possible. Whatever is necessary in this generation, God is the One ordering all things, backing up His soldiers, and giving us what we need in the middle of the fray. He sustains us, supports us, and keeps us going.

When power, love, and a sound mind are our allies and ready resources, fear doesn’t have to be a scary monster. We can go to God for whatever we need to vanquish the foe and render fear a powerless enemy.

So the next time fear threatens to trap you in doubts or anxieties, call on your heavenly Father to help you win the victory, and don’t let fear bully you into missing out on all God has for you.

Prayer:

Dear Father, help me to overcome my fears with power, love, and a sound mind. Enable me to do Your will, and not back down from making a difference. Energize my heart with a love and compassion for others. Transform how I think to match what is true, to see my fears for what they are—small in comparison to You. Help me to know which fears are false with no substance, and help me to trust You concerning the fears that are real concerns. You are bigger than any fear, than any “monster.” I look to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

*This adapted excerpt comes from Katy Kauffman, 2 Timothy: Winning the Victory, Second Edition (Buford, Georgia: Lighthouse Bible Studies, 2026), 32-33, 35.