by Jennifer Greene-Sullivan
Faith Over Fear — From Our House to Yours
Monday night, after Liam’s bath, he asked if he could have a “real, serious, long conversation” with me. He spoke softly and pulled his favorite blanket around his shoulders, and I knew this was not small talk. Just thirty minutes earlier, he had been singing in the shower, carefree and loud, and then he grew quiet and took an unusually long time getting dressed. I sat down beside him and waited, not knowing what direction the conversation would take. When he finally spoke, his topic surprised me.
Liam wanted to talk about fear.
For as long as he has been in this world, Liam has been bold and confident, a young man who approaches life and his walk with God with the kind of courage we see in Joshua when the Lord says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Hearing him name the things that troubled his heart caught me off guard because fear has never defined him. Before he shared another detail, I stopped him and prayed out loud, asking the Lord to close the ears of the enemy to our conversation, because our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Some things are meant to be covered in prayer and entrusted to God alone. Wisdom teaches us that not every battle needs a public language.
As Liam spoke in a serious and measured tone, I listened carefully and prayed silently for the Holy Spirit to guide my response. I did not want to offer reassurance alone; I wanted to give him the living Word that does not return void. So, I gave him the language of heaven that echoes from the manger to the empty tomb: “Do not be afraid” (Luke 2:10; Matthew 28:5). We talked about the armor of God, and how we put on the full armor so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). I reminded him that calling on the name of Jesus is not a last resort but a way of life, and prayer must be the posture through which we pray in the Spirit on all occasions (Ephesians 6:18).
I also spoke over him the purpose of the gifts placed inside of him by the Holy Spirit. Those gifts were not given so he would shrink back in fear because God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). The gifts of the Spirit were given so Liam could function as a living and active member of the Body of Christ, growing into maturity and strength. Liam listens in a way that is both intense and quiet, and I have learned that his processing often comes days after our conversations. That night, however, peace came quickly, and he slept with the kind of rest that reminds me of the psalmist who wrote, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).
Later, I gave Chris the shortened version of our conversation because in our marriage he prefers the practical summary. In love, he offered a tangible solution to remove the source of the fear because that is how he protects his family. The next evening he suggested they go take care of it so Liam would not be afraid. Liam’s response stopped me in my tracks: “Mama told me Jesus said, ‘Do not be afraid.’ I prayed, and Jesus took care of it. I’m not scared anymore, Daddy.” In that moment, I was reminded that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).
We did not magnify the fear, and we did not give it language to grow. Instead, we carried it straight to the Father and left it there because fear loses its authority in the presence of perfect love, and perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18). What was meant to trouble Liam became a moment of discipleship for both of us. As I taught him how to fight in the Spirit and in truth, the Lord was already preparing a lesson for me.
This week our music minister at FBC asked me to sing a solo during the choir anthem, and my immediate response was a fearful “yes.” It is an honor, and my prayer since coming to FBC has been that the Lord would use me however and whenever He sees fit because those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31).
I practiced faithfully and felt no fear in the moment, but when I returned home, my mind began to rehearse the scene: the sanctuary, the lights, the formality, and the awareness that this would be my first time singing on FBC’s stage. The battle Liam had just walked through suddenly became my own.
I am afraid.
With that realization, the Holy Spirit turned my own words back toward me and redirected my focus. This is not a performance but an offering, and worship has always been about the audience of One. My desire is for this song to rise to the Father as a sweet aroma because through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15). When my eyes are fixed on Him and not on the people in the room, I am living the truth of “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1–2). In His presence, fear has no place to stand.
So, this Sunday morning at about 11:10 a.m., I am asking you to pray for me. Pray that my heart will remain steadfast, that every note will be an act of thanksgiving for the all-sufficient merit of Christ, and that my worship will be for God’s glory alone because whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). From our home in Cochran, Georgia, to yours, this is our declaration: faith over fear. What the Lord teaches us in our private moments becomes the testimony that strengthens the Body of Christ.
A Shepherd’s Reflection for the Week Ahead
As this week unfolds, fear will try to reintroduce itself in different ways because that is what it does. It whispers about the future, it magnifies what we cannot control, and it attempts to pull our focus away from the nearness of God. Yet Psalm 23 reminds us that we are not navigating any shadowed valley alone because the Lord is our Shepherd, and a shepherd never abandons his sheep to the terrain. Even when the path is unclear and the shadows feel long, we are being led beside still waters and into restoration we may not yet recognize. The presence of the Shepherd, not the absence of trouble, is the source of our peace.
When fear rises suddenly, Psalm 91 becomes the prayer we return to again and again. We dwell in the shelter of the Most High, not as visitors, but as sons and daughters who have been invited to remain under the shadow of the Almighty. That shadow is not darkness but a covering, a place where the noise of anxiety is quieted, and the arrows that fly by day do not determine our direction. We are not promised a life without battle, but we are promised protection, refuge, and the faithfulness of a God whose truth is our shield and rampart. In that dwelling place, our hearts learn to rest.
This week, when your mind begins to rehearse the what-ifs, return to the table that has already been prepared for you in the presence of your enemies. Your cup is not barely holding on; it is overflowing with mercy that is new every morning and goodness that is pursuing you more faithfully than fear ever could. Ultimately, the same God who walked with you through past valleys is the One who goes before you into every unknown moment. You are not striving for His protection; you are already living inside it.
So speak to your own soul the way David did with confidence rooted in the character of God. Remind yourself that you dwell in His house, that you abide under His shadow, and that no report of the enemy has the authority to rewrite what the Lord has spoken over your life. Let your prayers this week be less about escaping fear and more about recognizing the Shepherd who is standing beside you. In His presence, courage is not something you manufacture; it is something you receive.
Reader Response
- Where is fear attempting to rehearse a future that God has already placed under His authority, and how can you return that place to the care of your Shepherd this week?
- What would it look like for you to intentionally dwell in the shelter of the Most High instead of visiting Him only when anxiety rises?
- How is the Lord inviting you to shift your focus from the presence of the valley to the nearness of His voice and His leading?
Prayer
Father, we come to You as Your children who are learning, day by day, what it means to live without fear because we live in You. You are our Shepherd, and because You lead us, we lack nothing that we truly need. When our hearts begin to race and our thoughts wander into the unknown, draw us back under the shadow of Your presence where Your peace guards our minds and restores our souls. Teach us to recognize the table You have already prepared for us and to rest in the covering of Your faithfulness.
Lord Jesus, help us to fix our eyes on You and not on the circumstances that try to define this week. Let every place that has been ruled by fear be reclaimed by Your perfect love, and let Your Word rise up within us as our shield and our song. Holy Spirit, remind us that we are never walking through any valley alone and that courage is formed as we remain near to the heart of the Father. We offer You our worship, our trust, and every unknown moment that lies ahead.
We declare together that we will dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives, and we will rest in the refuge of the Most High. Fear will not have the final word because You already have. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Hashtags
#FaithOverFear #Psalm23 #Psalm91 #TheLordIsMyShepherd #UnderHisShadow #DoNotBeAfraid #SpiritualWarfare #ArmorOfGod #PowerOfPrayer #AudienceOfOne #WorshipAsAnOffering #AllForHisGlory #FixYourEyesOnJesus #PerfectLoveCastsOutFear #ShepherdLeadership #ChristianMotherhood #DisciplingOurChildren #HolySpiritLed #FromOurHomeToYours #CochranGeorgia #FBCWorship #TrustTheFather #RestInHisPresence #AbideInHim
The Aging English Major 