68 Bible Verses on Fear and Action Steps to Overcome It
It’s safe to say that every human being will experience some type of fear in their lifetime.
Noah Webster, in his 1828 dictionary, defined fear as an “uneasiness of mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us.” He also calls fear a “painful emotion.”
Fear is always crippling in our lives. It is one of the ways that Satan uses to draw us farther and farther away from Jesus. Max Lucado puts it this way, “Fear glues watchers to their seats.” That means we’re stuck when we’re in fear.
When we live with fear dominating all or a portion of our lives, it’s likely we become useless in God’s kingdom. We become stagnant and blind from living out our God-given purpose in life. Fear is a devastating trap to get into.
Fear of anything can keep you from living life itself.
We Can Be Completely Set Free From Fear
If you are in a place where you feel overcome and burdened with a certain fear in your life, I have good news for you! God can take us through our fears with His grace and mercy and conquer them when we give them to Him. He is The One who holds our future.
Overcoming Fear In My Life
I can remember many times in my life feeling stifled by fear.
The fear of change was paralyzing.
Fear of rejection immobilized me.
Fear of loss made me melancholy.
At the time I didn’t necessarily understand that I was living in fear. However, eventually, with the help of mentors and counselors, I realized that the constant worry and anxiety I felt were manifestations of my fear and they were robbing me of the blessings God wanted to give me.
Over time, and growing in my faith, I started to become emboldened with the understanding that the opposites of fear are faith and hope. The Biblical hope I could build my foundation of life on came with certainty and confidence in the character, attributes and promises of God. I love how my pastor says it, “Faith answers the door of fear.”
Max Lucado also has some encouragement when it comes to faith and fear. He says, “Feed your fears and your faith will starve, feed your faith and your fear will starve.”
In order to overcome my fears in life (and continue to when they creep in again), I had to be intentional with my thoughts and actions. I had to courageously replace my anxious thoughts with the truths that come from the Word – the Bible. Sometimes I had to write out scripture. Prayer was (and is) most powerful too!
Surrendering, which means releasing and giving over, my fears to the Almighty God (our Elohim) helped me find a freedom that is life-giving. With that new-found freedom, I don’t live under the heavy burden of the what-ifs, the anxiety or the worry anymore.
Important Questions to Ask Yourself to Work Through Your Fear
- Is your fear driving you to faith or to sin?
- What is feeding your fear?
- Are you being sold fear?
- Are you feeding your mind what God is doing, or what He is not doing?
- What is your specific fear? Does it have a root cause?
Actions to Take to Conquer Your Fear
- Write out the answers to the questions above on paper.
- Spend time in prayer and meditation with God in relation to the questions above.
- Confess your fears to the Lord.
- Ask God to forgive you for being fearful and not trusting in His perfect plans and holiness
- Give your fear to our sweet Jesus, who died on the cross to release you from your sins and give you freedom in life.
- Write out 5-10 of the Bible verses below that God is using to show you to conquer your fears. Keep these verses visible and memorize them to refute the enemy when he puts fear in your path.
A Special Prayer You Can Pray to Conquer Fear
By Neil Anderson in his book “Walking Through the Darkness” “Dear Heavenly Father, You are the fortress, shield, and strength of my life. I refuse to be intimidated by any fear object. I choose to sanctify Christ as the Lord of my life. You are the only omnipotent, omnipresent God. You have not given me a spirit of fear. By Your presence in my life, I have power, love and sound mind. You power enables me to live a responsible life. Your presence in my life has made me a partaker of Your divine nature so I can love others as You love them. You are my sanctuary, and I ask You to protect my family … Amen.”
68 Verses From the Bible About Fear
The word fear is mentioned 340 times in the Bible and it is recorded as being said by Jesus 14 times. Often His words were, “Fear Not.”
Old Testament Verses on Fear
Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
Genesis 26:24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.”
Genesis 43:23a But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid.
Genesis 46:3 So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.
Exodus 14:13a And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 10:8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.”
Joshua 10:25 Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
1 Samuel 12:20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
1 Samuel 12:24 Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
2 Kings 6:16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
1 Chronicles 29:20 And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
2 Chronicles 20:17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”
Job 11:13-15 “If you would prepare your heart, And stretch out your hands toward Him; If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away, And would not let wickedness dwell in your tents; Then surely you could lift up your face without spot; Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear;
Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.
Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.
Psalm 46:2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 56:4 In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?
Proverbs 3:25-26 Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.
Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”
Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
Isaiah 43: 1-3 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Isaiah 43:5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west;
Isaiah 44:8 Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’”
Isaiah 54:4a “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
Jeremiah 23:4 I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah 30:10 ‘Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says the Lord, ‘Nor be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar, And your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, And no one shall make him afraid.
Jeremiah 46:28a Do not fear, O Jacob My servant,” says the Lord, “For I am with you;
Daniel 10:12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.
Daniel 10:19 And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the Lord has done marvelous things!
Zephaniah 3:16-17 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Haggai 2:5 ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’
New Testament Verses on Fear
Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 10:28a And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
Matthew 10:31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Luke 2:10-12 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
Luke 8:50 But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.”
Luke 12:7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Luke 12:32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
John 12:15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Hebrews 13:6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
I John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
Revelation 2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Revelation 21:4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
4 of My Favorite Quotes About Fear
- “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow but today of its faith.” Corrie Ten Boom
- “Don’t let the what-ifs cause you to miss the what is.” Cecelia Harris
- “But courage, child: we are all between the paws of the true Aslan.” C.S. Lewis
- “Don’t tell God how big your storm is, tell your storm how big your God is.” Anonymous
My Number One Tool to Work Through and Conquer Fear
QUEST Single (choose the topic of fear) and using a daily guide, write the Word, inviting God into your life to conquer your fear.
Powerful Resources To Help Grab Hold of and Conquer Your Fears
My #1 book recommendation {Click Here}!
1 | Fearless
(buy used) (buy new)
2 | Finding Peace
(buy used) (buy new)
3 | Letting Go
(buy new)
4 | Overcoming Fear Worry and Anxiety
(buy used) (buy new)
Worship Songs to Help Put Your Fears to Rest
Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me ) Casting Crowns
Great is Thy Faithfulness -Chris Rice
How Great Thou Art -Carrie Underwood
It is Well With My Soul -Audrey Assad
Your Great Name -Natalie Grant
Whom Shall I Fear -Darrel Evans
I Will Trust in You -Maranatha Praise Band
You Have a Choice Next Time You Find Yourself Burdened With Fear?
We have choices to make every day in the life we live. Choosing to let go of fear and live in freedom is an intentional choice that must be made every time we wake up in the morning. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of God’s promises every single hour of the day. That’s ok. He gives us the truths of His Word to cling to, comfort us and guide us through the minutes of our days.
Will you do me a favor that will help you heal and grow in your holistic life and nourish your soul? Will you purpose to write out the answers to the questions above, confess your fears to the Lord, memorize His Word and bathe yourself in uplifting worship music to live in freedom from fear? When you determine to overcome in the Lord your life and health will thank you for it!
Overcoming Fear by Faith was the title of my testimony I shared at my church a couple years ago.
I blogged about it too at my blog
http://www.joyfulrefuge.wordpress.com