"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
—2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

The Bible clearly says that God has not given us a spirit of fear. So if we have a spirit of fear, where does it come from? It comes from the devil.

When people say, "I'm afraid of this" or "I'm afraid of that," what they're actually saying is, "I'm giving place to the devil to rule and reign over this area of my life."

It's no fun to live life afraid. When I first began to snow ski, I became afraid every time I went. And I crashed a lot! It wasn't fun.

I finally found that if I'd just play music, it would take my mind off how tough the hills were. I became a fairly decent skier when I had my music going, because I wasn't afraid.

You see, we can't be afraid of what might happen. But that's what people sit around and worry about. Remember Y2K? People were worried because "we might not have this or that."

There are a lot of "mights"! But we can't worry about those things—about what could happen. We can't be afraid just because something tragic happened. We have to trust our God. We have to go on with our lives.

The Power of the Lord's Protection

We need to understand the power of the Lord's protection. My mom taught me Psalm 91 when I was very young. She would always claim it over our family, and I do the same with my kids today. It is also a great passage of scripture to claim when we feel fear.

I remember when I was about 10 and playing at home with one of my friends. We came inside and I saw a guy banging on the door.

It could have been a salesman who just really wanted to sell something, but I immediately began to feel afraid. And this guy wouldn't leave!

So I took my buddy, grabbed a Bible, and said, "We're going to read the 91st Psalm." By the time I finished reading, that guy had left. It might have been no big deal, but I went to the Word when I felt I was in danger.

The Word will work for us! But we have to know what it says.

It says it doesn't matter if a thousand people fall on one side of us and 10 thousand people on the other side. We will not be hurt!

It says we don't have to be afraid of famine and pestilence. We don't have to get the flu when everyone else is getting the flu. Jesus took stripes on His back so that we could be healed!

Quit worrying about everything—about every situation and circumstance. Quit letting fear enter your heart, because God has not given us a spirit of fear!

Led by the Spirit

Psalm 37:23 says that the Lord orders our steps. Romans 8:14 (NKJV) says, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." We need to endeavor to be led by the Spirit of God. But what does that mean?

It means that if we ever get a check in our heart about doing something, then we don't do it. If something on the inside tells us not to go, we don't go.

As my grandfather Kenneth E. Hagin always said, it's like taking a bath with your clothes on. You don't feel right about it. And if you don't feel right, you don't do it!

I believe that we're living in the last days, and that the Lord gives us warnings. Every time a tragedy happens, I hear stories about how some people got a check not to go somewhere and they're still alive today. Or I hear how someone overrode those checks and they're not alive today.

My grandfather told about a time when he and the family were in Texas visiting some minister friends. They were on the porch getting ready to leave when he told the pastor, "I don't feel like we should leave yet. I don't know why, but I'm not going."

They sat down and talked for another 15 or 20 minutes. Then he said, "I think it's time to go." When they left, they came across a tragic accident where some people had been killed. If they had left earlier, they'd have been right there when it happened!

You see, the Lord will lead and guide us, and He will protect us—but we have to follow Him. We must listen to His still, small voice on the inside. And we need to claim the 91st Psalm over our families.

We can have whatever we say. We don't have to fear!

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Psalm 91:1-16 (NCV)

1 Those who go to God Most High for safety will be protected by the Almighty.

2 I will say to the Lord, “You are my place of safety and protection. You are my God and I trust you.”

3 God will save you from hidden traps and from deadly diseases.

4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you can hide. His truth will be your shield and protection.

5 You will not fear any danger by night or an arrow during the day.

6 You will not be afraid of diseases that come in the dark or sickness that strikes at noon.

7 At your side one thousand people may die, or even ten thousand right beside you, but you will not be hurt.

8 You will only watch and see the wicked punished.

9 The Lord is your protection; you have made God Most High your place of safety.

10 Nothing bad will happen to you; no disaster will come to your home.

11 He has put his angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go.

12 They will catch you in their hands so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.

13 You will walk on lions and cobras; you will step on strong lions and snakes.

14 The Lord says, “Whoever loves me, I will save. I will protect those who know me.

15 They will call to me, and I will answer them. I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue them and honor them.

16 I will give them a long, full life, and they will see how I can save.”