How to Overcome Fear

Daily Devotional – Saturday, March 11, 2023
When I remember You on my bed. I meditate on You in the night watches.
Psalms 63:6 (NKJV)

David is the in the wilderness of Judah running away from his son Absalom. The son has overthrown his father from the throne of Israel. From the musings of this troubled soul, we glean powerful insights on how to overcome fear.

Fighting Fright with Prayer

Psalm 63 is David’s journal entry for the days he was on the run in the Judean desert. The terrible heat spawns this profound introduction: “O God, You are my God. Early will I seek You. My soul thirsts for You. My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” (Verse 1).

To begin with, instead of feeding his fears, David feeds his faith through deep prayers. David longs for the assurance of God’s presence. He wants deep communion with God. To him, God is more important than water is to a dry throat in a desert.

Praise versus Fear

Secondly, as the day wears on, the king turns to divine praise. He exclaims, “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus, I will bless You while I live. I will lift up my hands in Your name. … my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.” (Verses 3-5).

When we exalt the sovereignty, power and goodness of the Lord, He intervenes on our behalf. As long as we have breath in our nostrils, our praise should ascend unto God without fail, irrespective of the fears surrounding us.

Winning with Meditation

Thirdly, David resorts to meditation – reflecting on how God had intervened in his life in the past. The king says, “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.” (Verse 6). There are three watches in a night, when guards leave their posts as others assume guarding duties.

When sleep deserts him, David reminisces on the God who had protected him when he was a boy-shepherd. The same God gave me victory over Goliath, anointed him king, saved him from King Saul and established his kingdom. Surely, the Almighty is with him in the current quagmire.

How to Overcome Fear

Finally, from verses 7-12, David thanks God, indirectly by expressing confidence in God for yet-to-be answered prayers. He states, “But the king shall rejoice in God.” Thanking God in advance is a profound form of faith that helps us overcome fear and dejection. In essence, prayer, praise, meditation and thanksgiving are critical tools for overcoming fear.

Prayer
Dear Lord, teach me how to overcome fear through prayer, praise, meditation and thanksgiving.