Part 1 Verses about Fear, Worry etc

[shalom-dodi]

Welcome to the Monday Night Bible Study. We will be spending the next hour separated from the world and all that is going on and have set apart this time to be with the Lord. I am Shalom Dodi and very glad to spend this time with you tonight.

Our format is Welcome, Song, Prayer, Pondering and closing.

Song Be Not Afraid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWpG7qHtB8g

Prayer: Lord God, our Father, thank you for this time we have to simply “be” with you and with one another. Thank you that we can gather in this cyber place to ponder your Word and your goodness and provision for us. Thank you that you know each of us intimately, have good plans for us and are our Healer, Redeemer and so much more. Help us to REST in your Word this evening. We ask in Jesus name amen.

I want to also share the prayer from the author of our web site where I found this lovely list of verses.
Prayer for anxiety and panic attacks, worry and fear

Heavenly Father,
We know you do not give us a spirit of fear, but instead, of power, love, and sound mind. I pray for the one reading these words right now, that you would minister to their anxious hearts, and replace all worry, fear, and anxiety with your peace and calm assurance. Remind them of your truth that is greater than anything they might come up against. Rebuke the spirit of fear, and in its place, loose your peace to every cell of their being. Thank you, Lord, that you are Shalom, our perfect peace. In Jesus’s name, Amen.


I saw, on FB actually, a poster with 40 verses to combat worry, fear, anxiety and panic. It was created by Dr Michelle Bengtson.

She apparently used the NLT which sometimes is useful. But not always fully accurate.
We are going to go through some of them, but we will also post NKJV.

Don’t worry about anything. Pray about everything.
Philippians 4:6-7
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
NKJV 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Dodi Note: TELL God what you (think) you need but do not forget also to THANK God for all he has done and THEN we will know his Shalom/peace which will guard out hearts and get this…our minds.
Mainly I think right now, we need to guard our minds. We need to filter and be aware of seemingly random thoughts, especially fear producing ones.
There is a prayer model that I remember. It is simply called ACTS.

* Adoration: Give God praise and honor for who he is as Lord over all.
* Confession: Honestly deal with the sin in your prayer life.
* Thanksgiving: Verbalize what you’re grateful for in your life and in the world around you.
* Supplication: Pray for the needs of others and yourself.
Doesn’t that remind you of a Scripture about entering God’s presence? For me, being able to be aware of…to heart and mind know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God really is “with me”, can make all the difference in the world.

I am thinking of Psalm 100:4 KJV Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Sometimes we forget, or I can, to enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. I forget when I am upset to be thankful and bless his name. But when I remember to actually do those things my heart is able to rest and so is my mind.

That Psalm brings to mind the picture of the temple where God dwelt at that time. It had gates, It had an outer court and an inner court.

Certain people could enter certain places. It also had the Holy of Holies place where practically no one could enter.

But NOW because of Jesus we are given direct access to God, our Father.
Here is a picture of it:

I wonder if we could be mindful to be thankful during the coming days?


2. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself.
Matthew 6:34 NLT
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
NKJV 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Dodi Note: I guess you know if it says, “therefore”, I will want us to look at the “therefore”.

It is a GREAT passage where Jesus is instructing his disciples. Earlier he had given them what we call The Lord’s Prayer or the “Our Father”.

Let’s see some context right after that:
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Dodi Note: Bottom line, worry will not help anything. Seeking God in prayer, in worship etc will gain us everything. Especially a sense of peace and quiet confidence that no matter what tomorrow does bring, God is going to walk WITH us through it.

3. Trust in the LORD with all your heart.
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
NKJV: Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Dodi Note: This is a very popular and often quoted verse. But do we, can we, actually do what it says? We are to TRUST in the Lord. We are to acknowledge him in all our ways. Do you think that means obey him? Turn to him? Cry out to him when we are upset or in any sort of need?
And when we do that, we are getting our focus off whatever our current problem is. And at the same time, opening ourselves up to receive guidance from him.


4. Be strong and courageous. Do not fear.
Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

NKJV 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.”

Dodi Note: I love this verse, don’t you? Moses is about to die. As you know Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land, so he was appointing Joshua as leader and giving him instructions and guidance.

Joshua knows the power of the people in the land he is leading them into. God is reminding Joshua and the Hebrew people and each of us that no matter what “giants” we face, God is the ONE who goes with us and he will NEVER leave us or forsake us.
That is comforting to remember.

5. Don’t worry about your life.
Luke 12:24-26
“Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?”

NKJV 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?

Dodi Note: Is this pretty much where we started tonight? It is always interesting to notice something which is repeated. ????? Do not worry….we are of great value to God and we also know that one day we will be with him forever in heaven. Besides even when it does not appear to be so, God is in control.
The next verse is along the same lines:

6. Do not be anxious.
Matthew 6:25
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”
NKJV 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Dodi Note: I have heard that if we are faithful in little things, then we can be trusted in bigger things. Could it be that if we practice trust, which is the opposite of anxiousness, we will grow in it?
Right now there is a LOT going on in our worlds. A lot of uncertainty. We can choose to pray and trust instead of worry.

7. Don’t let your heart be troubled.
John 14:1
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”
NKJV “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

Context: 14 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Dodi Note: Each of us, who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior have a place prepared for us in heaven. So we know our final outcome.

8. No need to fear. Rest in God’s peace.
John 14:27
“I am leaving you with a gift–peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

NKJV 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Dodi Note: This is also a well known and often repeated verse.
Lord, help us to REST in that promised peace. Help us to remember what our heart knows but sometimes forgets.

9. God hears us and answers us.
Psalm 34:4
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
NKJV I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

The context around this verse is awesome. The Psalmist begins with I will… I will choose to…then my soul shall…

Let’s read it together:

Context: I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

Look at the next verse where we see the Psalmist doing what we are instructed to do.

4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

Did you see what happened when he sought the LORD? He was not only heard, he was delivered from ALL his fears.

5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,And saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.
Dodi Note: Fear means awesome reference, not scared of. Isn’t that so neat? The ANGEL of the LORD encamps all around us.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.

10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

Dodi Note: Great reminders.


10. Live in peace with thankfulness.
Colossians 3:15

“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

NKJV 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Verses 1-3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Dodi Note: Yet again we “set our minds on things above” we are hidden with Christ in God. Once again we are reminded to “be thankful”.

11. Have courage. God is always with us.
Joshua 1:9 (similar to #4)
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
NKJV 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.”
Dodi Note: If you have never read/pondered Joshua’s story, it is very faith building.

12. God will give us His peace.
2 Thessalonians 3:16
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.”
NKJV 16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
Dodi Note: This is one of those sweet blessings. At my church each service ends with one of them.
It is for each of us tonight and can be a prayer for this evening, this time, this season.
May the LORD of PEACE Himself GIVE us peace ALWAYS and in EVERY way. The Lord is with us all.

13. Step into God’s comfort.
Psalm 94:19
“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”
NKJV In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.
Dodi Note: I love that over and over or at least quite often we are reminded in the Word, that sometimes we will be troubled, we will have cares of life or even a multitude of anxieties but each time and every time, as we turn to God and turn them and ourselves over TO him, His comforts WILL delight our souls.


14. Perfect/Love perfected, sends fear running.
1 John 4:18
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”
NKJV 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.
Dodi Note: Yet again, we are not condemned if/when/because we feel afraid, but we are reminded not to remain in that state. God’s love is perfect and awareness of His presence with us will cast out fear. Send it away from us.


15. Use good words.
Proverbs 12:25
“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.”
NKJV Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad.
Dodi Note: Our pastor reminded us in an email that this season is a good time for the Body of Christ to lift up others. To reach out and help as we can.

As we close does anyone want to share a story or a prayer or a comment?