Do you ever have those days where it feels almost impossible to shake the fear gripping your heart?

I understand.

We received this prayer request just today:

I would like to ask prayer for myself to be able to learn how to heal and truly forgive after betrayal. I constantly see things I can read into but I don't know if they are real or if I'm making them real in my mind. I don't seem to trust anyone anymore and can't bring myself to make friends because I feel as if they have ulterior motives and are just out to lie and betray me in some way. I can't seem to figure out how to move past the hurt of what has happened in my marriage. My mind is constantly seeing things from the past and making up things in the present. I feel like I'm constantly grieving and sad, but I can't relate this to my husband because it makes him defensive and angry like I'm the one who has caused myself to feel this way. I am trying to trust and it seems like such an uphill climb because I'm doing it alone. I'm left here by myself to pick up the thousands of pieces of my shattered heart, but the pieces keep cutting me when I try putting it back together. I feel so alone in this process.

You are not alone. I wish we could reach through our screens to declare this to one another right now. You are not alone.

When I get caught off guard, stunned by threatening circumstances in the world, or unexpectedly wounded by a hurtful statement, I can literally feel my body being overrun with a flood of emotions. Based on conversations with different friends of mine with different personalities, it seems like each of us has a go-to feeling that rises up and wants to take over in threatening situations: anger that wants to come out swinging, fear that wants to shrink back and disappear, confusion that wants to talk it out and restore peace quickly, just to name a few.

But I’m learning that while we can sometimes feel afraid, we don’t have to live afraid. We can be alarmed and resolved at the very same time. We can let our declaration mirror those of Jehoshaphat to God when faced with a massive and terrifying army, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12b)

Though seeking God may not always come naturally as our first response, it is the only way to infuse supernatural strength into our situation. The more we turn to Him in daily struggles, the more natural it is to return to Him in times of unexpected trouble.

Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me that fear doesn’t have to pull me away from trusting in You. Fear can actually be the catalyst to me choosing to trust You more than ever. Today I’m choosing to fix my eyes and my hope on You. The God who is for me, with me, and loves me without end. In Jesus' Name, Amen.