Have No Fear Do Not Be Afraid
The most commonly repeated phrase in the whole Bible, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, is Fear not! or Have no fear! or Do not be afraid! or Be not afraid!
- It is often claimed that this phrase appears exactly 365 times in the Bible, one for each day of the year! This might be an inspiring claim, but it is not biblically accurate.
- The phrase “Fear not! appears only slightly over 100 times in the Old Testament, as well as about 44 times in the New Testament .
- The exact count will depend on which Hebrew and Greek words one includes, since there are several close synonyms in each language .
- The main Greek word group expressing “fear” is the adjective phobos , the verb phobe , and the adverb aphobs .
- One can attain a higher total count if one includes biblical texts that mention people who are afraid .
- An even higher total can be attained if one also includes some positive phrases that could be considered equivalent, such as “to trust God/Jesus” or “to be at peace” or “to rest in God.”
Another closely related and very common biblical theme is that people should “fear the Lord” or have “fear of the Lord” but these ideas are not contradictory, when understood properly:
Isaiah : 45 1890 Darby Bible
4 and thou shalt say unto him, Take heed and be quiet fear not, and let not thy heart faint before these two ends of smoking firebrands, because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Inasmuch as Syria hath taken evil counsel against thee, Ephraim also and the son of Remaliah, saying,
Jesus Instructs His Disciples:
- Matthew 10:26 So have no fear of them for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.
- Matthew 10:28 Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul rather fearhim who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
- Matthew 10:31 So do not be afraid you are of more value than many sparrows.
- Luke 12:4-5 I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. / But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
- Luke 12:7 But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid you are of more value than many sparrows.
- Luke 12:32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
You May Like: What Does The Bible Say About Vaccine
Isaiah : 45 The New Revised Standard Version
4 and say to him, Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Aramwith Ephraim and the son of Remaliahhas plotted evil against you, saying,
Have The Messianic Spirit
- The Messiah himself will have “the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, and he will delight in the fear of the Lord As disciples of the Messiah, we should take this eternal spirit within ourselves.
- Isaiah tells Gods people that they should cast away idols and return to God. He gives them a victory song to sing, in which the princes of Assyria “will be in fear” when they see the standard of the Lord. . Here we may regard the king and princes of Assyria as representative of the spiritual forces of darkness against which we fight .
Don’t Miss: What Does The Bible Say About Cremation Versus Burial
Bible Verses For Anxiety And Worry
I read words – of life – of truth. Soaking them in, over and over, praying them out loud. Until they became so familiar, they replaced the other things in my mind that Id battled against. Theres nothing magical about words and verses, but there is power through them because theyre Gods words.
Change happened. Anxious thoughts began to diminish. Worry let go of its constant grip. And though fear is sometimes still there, it no longer wields control, holding me back, paralyzing me in its grasp.
His words are life words, soothing to our soul, calming to our spirits, giving power to our days.
Its not always easy, and it often comes down to a choice:
- Choosing not to allow fear and anxiety to control your life.
- Choosing to guard your heart.
- Choosing to focus your mind on what is true in the midst of uncertain times.
We might still feel afraid, but we can believe that God is with us. We may not be in control, but we can trust the One who is. We may not know the future, but we can know the God who does.
Jesus Teaches His Disciples In Jerusalem:
- Matthew 24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars see that you are not alarmed for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
- Mark 13:7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed this must take place, but the end is still to come.
- Luke 21:9 When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.
Don’t Miss: Bible Verses About Homelessness
Do Not Be Afraid Bible Verse In Newteastament
2 Timothy 1:7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind
1 John 4:18There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love
John 14:27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid
Romans 8:15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father
1 Peter 3:14But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled
Luke 12:32Fear not, little flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom
Glimpse #: The Ruler Of All Rulers
In Isaiah 41:23 Isaiah asks, Who has aroused one from the east whom he calls in righteousness to his feet? He delivers up nations before him, and subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, as the wind-driven chaff with his bow.
Here is a picture of God rousing a king and leading him in conquest and delivering up nations before him. So the God of Isaiah 41:10 is Ruler of the rulers of history. He controls the affairs of men and nations for his purposes. Thats who gives the pillars for fearlessness in Isaiah 41:10.
Also Check: Chronological Order Bible
Hopeful Bible Verses About Fear
“You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.”
Fear can creep up on us when we least expect it. Sure, theres fear we can kind of expect when we subject ourselves to that yearly walk through one of the most haunted places in America on Halloween or sit down with some popcorn to watch a scary movie. But where do we turn with the other, more significant fears? Things like watching a loved one go through cancer treatment, or the potential of losing a job, having a miscarriage, or getting into a car accident. Unfortunately, there isnt a limit to what our brains can concoct that is potentially fearful, some of it legitimate and some of it irrational. Either way, we can find hope and an anchor in the storm that is our fear in Jesus because he has a lot to say about fear in scripture. Fear not is a common reminder in the Word, because we are often forgetful and we can try to imagine the future before it has even happenedleading to a lot of fear and anxiety. Jesus reminds us that we can trust God as our good Father. He will fight for us. He will cover us and protect us. He will calm the storms in our minds and hearts. All he asks is that we turn our eyes from our fears to Him.
As you’re seeking comfort from your fear, also look toward Bible verses about anxiety, Bible verses about stress, and Bible verses about courage.
The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?
Context Of Isaiah : 10
These words provided comfort to the faithful Jews who were later taken captive to Babylon. Jehovah had foretold that toward the end of the Jewish exile, there would be reports of an approaching conqueror who would devastate the surrounding nations and threaten Babylon. While Babylon and the surrounding nations would tremble in fear at such news, the Jews would not need to worry, because Jehovah would protect them. Three times he reassured them with the words do not be afraid.Isaiah 41:5, 6, 10, 13, 14.
Although initially directed to faithful Jews in Babylonian exile, Jehovah God had the words of Isaiah 41:10 preserved for the comfort of all his worshippers. He helps them today, just as he helped his servants in the past.
Read Isaiah chapter 41 along with explanatory footnotes and cross-references.
Recommended Reading: Pray Without Ceasing Scripture
Glimpse #: The God Who Chose His Own People
In verses 57 Isaiah shows us the desperate attempts of the nations to persuade themselves that they and their gods are strong. Verse 5: they are afraid and they come together. Verse 6: they try to encourage each other not to be afraid, and say, Be strong! Verse 7: the idol makers who smooth the metal and nail up the idols with nails try to encourage each other and say, It is good. In other words, there is a picture of the unrepentant nations desperately trying to convince themselves that their self-wrought gods, made with soldering and nails, are really adequate for their needs.
Over against this desperation of self-reliance and idolatry God says to his people in verses 89, But you Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham my friend, you whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its remotest parts, and said to you, You are my servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.
In verses 19 there is a picture of the God who judges the nations, and rules the rulers of the nations, and calls the nations into being, choosing his people for himself, calling them from their hopeless distance from him, and taking them to be his servant.
That is what God has done for us in Christ. He chose us before the foundation of the world. He called us out of darkness and death. And he took us for himself to be his. To make himself our God.
On Easter Sunday Morning At The Empty Tomb:
- Matthew 28:4-5 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. / But the angel said to the women, Do not be afraid I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.
- Matthew 28:8, 10 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. // Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee there they will see me.
You May Like: How Many Psalms In The Bible
Letters Attributed To Paul :
- Romans 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, Abba! Father!
- Romans 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval
- 1 Corinthians 16:10 If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord just as I am
- Philippians 1:14 and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word with greater boldness and without fear.
- Philippians 1:28 are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.
What Does Isaiah : 10 Mean
John Gill’s Exposition of the BibleIsaiah 41:10
Fear thou not, for I am with theeNot merely by his essence or power, who is every where or by hisprovidence supporting, preserving, observing, ordering, andoverruling all things but in a way of special grace, to guardand protect his people, support and supply them, comfort andstrengthen their hearts wherefore they need not fear any oftheir enemies, nor whatsoever they may be called to suffer forhis name’s sake, even though they pass through fire and water,and the valley of the shadow of death: be not dismayed, Iam thy God through Christ, in a covenant way, as appeared by the effectualcalling of them and therefore might depend on his love, be sureof his power, expect all needful supplies, and to be comfortablycarried through every service and trial they were called unto and need fear no enemies, or be dismayed at anything that shouldbefall them or become weak as water, and their hearts melt likewax within them, as the Jewish commentators generally interpretthe word . The Targum is,
“be not broken ”
I will strengthen theeyea, I will help theeIwill uphold thee with the right hand of myrighteousnessFOOTNOTES:
Recommended Reading: Bible Colleges In Baltimore
Passing The Promise To My Own Sons
And now I am a father with sons. And I rejoice that I can do for them what my father did for me. So last Wednesday evening just before Benjamin left for boot camp in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, we all sat down in the living room and I said, There is a special verse I want to send with you, because my father sent it with me. It served me well and it will serve you well. Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
When I sought for a concluding text for this series on courage and fearlessness and risk-taking, it had to be the one that God has used in my life more than any other to help me through times of stress and fear.
Bible Verses About Fear
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go .
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you he will never leave you nor forsake you .
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus .
For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear I will help you. Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you, declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel .
When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul .
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble .
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind .
But now, this is what the Lord says Fear not, for I have redeemed you I have summoned you by name you are mine .
The Lord is with me I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me he is my helper .
Recommended Reading: What Does The Bible Say About Strong Woman
The Key To Overcoming Fear
The key to overcoming fear is resting on the pillars of the promises of God. Well come back to these pillars in a moment. Look with me for a minute at the verses leading up to verse 10 to see how they intensify these promises and strengthen these pillars.
If the key to fearlessness is believing that God is your God and is with you and will strengthen you and help you and uphold you, then knowing the greatness of this God will intensify your faith and your fearlessness.
Verses About Fear And Anxiety
January 16, 2013 by Debbie
Some things we face in life are just plain tough. And with all that is going on in the world today violence, crime, international unrest, economic uncertainty, job loss, concern over the future of our children, family hardships, disease, world hunger, drug abuse, education costs there actually IS a lot we could potentially worry about.
Fearworryanxiety.
But, ever notice that so much of what we worry about never even happens? Fear can be so controlling over our lives.
I struggled with fear and worry for years. Recently Ive found that the things that once would have sent me down an anxious spiral, no longer have the same effect. It didnt happen quickly, but over time, through the years. I read words. Of life. Of truth. Soaking them in. Over and over. Praying them out loud. Until they became so familiar, they replaced the other things I battled against. Theres nothing magical about them, but there is power through them, because theyre Gods words. Change happened. Anxious thoughts began to diminish. Worry let go of its constant grip. And though fear is sometimes still there, it no longer has control, it no longer holds me back. His words are soothing to our soul, calming to our spirits, power to our daysthere is hope there.
His word brings hopepeacefreedom. He will cover youyou are never alone.
2. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3
9. An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. Proverbs 12:25
Recommended Reading: Apocalypse In The Bible Verse