What do you think of when you think of the word "afraid"? Is it the terror you felt as a child wondering if there were monsters under your bed? Or the heart-stopping moment when someone jump-scares you? Or is it an unknown worry in your life that causes some fear to creep up inside of you, uncertain of what is next?

I think we all have been afraid at one point in our lives, possibly even on many occasions. I know I have (and that’s not something I readily or willingly like to admit), but it doesn’t make it any less true. Just recently I woke up with my heart racing, thoughts swirling around my mind, afraid to turn over in my bed because I didn’t want my mind to play tricks on me. 

When I found the courage to turn over, I texted a couple people asking if they could pray, and I ended up on the phone with a dear friend who prayed over me and helped me to re-align my heart and mind with the truth of God’s Word. To think on the things that are pure, honorable, just, and lovely (Philippians 4:8). When we hung up, I was a bit more settled but my mind was still wandering a bit, so I began to pray and it sounded a little like this, “Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus…” That was it. Just His name. Over and over again until I drifted off, able to sleep the rest of the night in peace. 

This hasn’t been the only time I’ve needed to use this tactic. There have been times in my life where the only way I could get through a moment or a night was to just say His name over and over again. I know that even in my quaking there is no mightier name than Jesus. That darkness, fear, a wandering mind, or the night (figuratively or literally) have no power over me, because I have the Holy Spirit residing inside of me and He is in authority over those things. 

This is just one reason it's so important to know God and His Word- so that in moments of being afraid, we can stand on Truth. That we can take our thoughts captive when they want to run fast and hard away from us. That we might be bathed in the things that are lovely, true, and commendable. That we might dwell on all that is honorable, pure, and worthy of praise. 

If you are someone who is undergoing ongoing sanctification (hint: we all are), then you know that sometimes these things are easier said than done. Maybe you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is in control and try your best to dwell on the lovely and true and abide in His presence, yet you still have fears. If that is the case, I have two encouragements for you today. 

1. Keep abiding and praying and dwelling, because it is by His power and His power alone that we are able to conquer our fears.

2. Bring some trusted people into your situation. Ask them to pray with and for and over you (and any other prepositions that matter), because where two or three are gathered, there He is also (Matthew 18).

And I guess a bonus 3rd is to remember that He makes good on His promises, one of those being that He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6-8). We are never alone. Sometimes we just need to whisper His name as a reminder, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus”.