Fear has left its mark on  me.

It was how I did life. Most of my decisions were based on fear—not fear of God— but fear of everything. Will anyone be upset if I do this? Will so-and-so be mad at me if I do that? What will my neighbors/friends/relatives think if I do this? Worse yet, what will THEY think? THEY is a very powerful group. THEY have been making life miserable for the rest of us for many years. We need to vote THEY out of power. Why? Because THEY will  keep us from following HIM.

Peter did it.

He finally beat THEY and took back his power.

I’ve been thinking about Peter.

How did he go from a three-Pete denier to the man who stood and preached like his heart was a-fire? Poured-out, filled-up, all-in man of God. I want that.

Let’s look at what happened to Peter in the book of Acts.

Jesus and Peter are having a conversation. Peter declares he is ready to go the mat for Jesus, but Jesus knows better.

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me. […]

58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly. Luke 22

Peter was all talk and no walk. He couldn’t deliver. I have been Peter—fired up at the conference and fast burn on the drive home. But, Peter changed.

How did it happen? How did God wreck fear?

Let’s look at God’s Peter Transformation Plan: From Fearful to Fearless

1. Spend time weeping. Go back and read Acts 3:62. Just admit it and be done with it. Tell God you have failed, and you need Him to break your heart and put it back together again so it beats only for Him. Ask Him to do whatever it takes so you will fear only Him.
2. Spend time with Jesus. A lot of time. Peter spent 3 years doing daily life with Jesus. How many hours do we spend each day with Jesus? Perhaps the more accurate question is, How many minutes do we spend each day with Jesus?  If you are serious about change, you’ll be spending serious time with Jesus. Luke 5:11
3. Spend time in prayer. In the time between the Ascension and Pentecost, Peter and the rest of Jesus’ disciples spent their time in the Upper Room in prayer. God used extended prayer to change Peter’s heart. Acts 1:14, Acts 4:31
4. Spend time in fellowship.  Peter did not become fearless by hunkering down by himself in his house.  Effective outspoken Christians are not loners. We need others to encourage, confront and hold us accountable as we walk with Jesus. Acts 1:14, Acts 4:31
5. Spend time in Scripture. Start at Acts 2:14 and read Peter’s speech to the crowd. How did he know what to say? Hours in the word of God. An Acts 2:14 kind of witness requires time, effort, perseverance and faith.

I have added one more element to this list: fasting. For this Lenten season, I have given up my favorite: Jason’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. Yep. It hurts. But God honors my sacrifice. By the way, I don’t expect to not ever feel fear again. I want to act in faith despite the fear. That’s what I’m talking about.

There we have it. The perfect recipe to wreck fear: prayer, repentance, scripture, fellowship and Jesus. Join me on this journey to wreck fear. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Leave me a comment below about your journey of faith. I’d love to chat with you.

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So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer.

Ezra 8:23

Prayer and fasting. Powerful stuff. Together they are Holy-Spirit inspired spiritual dynamite. Many of you joined us this past summer for a time of prayer and fasting. We thought with our presidential election hanging in the balance, what better time to revisit this powerful tool then now! It’s hard to remember a more divisive election than this one has been so far. We need intercessors who are willing to fall on their knees for our country. Will you join us? We have set aside the week of Monday, October 31, to Friday, November 4, for a time of prayer and fasting for this election and for our country. Let’s pray for our people, our leaders, and our world to wake up, repent and follow God. And let’s cover our election in prayer. You will need a Facebook account to participate. It’s always free! Follow the link to sign up and get a Facebook account if you don’t have one yet: www.facebook.com

Action Steps:

1. Click on the link below and sign up for 5 Days to Fast and Pray for the Election.
2. After you sign up, check your email and accept the invitation to join our 5 Days to Fast and Pray  Group. Be sure to check your junk mail if you don’t see it within a few minutes. On Monday, Oct. 31, you will receive a link to your 5-day guide in your email. It will arrive early in the morning.
3. Follow this link to our closed Facebook  5 Days to Fast and Pray for the Election and ask to join the group. We will then approve you.
4. Decide how you will fast (see below for more info on fasting).
5. Join us each night at 8- 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time Monday-Thursday (not on Friday) to pray via Facebook if you can. This is optional. If you can’t join us then, you can post your prayers at any other time on the Facebook page.
6. Invite your friends to join us.

A Word About Fasting

There are many types of fasts. We are trusting that you can determine which type of fast is best for you. Some of you may want to fast from desserts for the week. Some of you may undertake a social media fast. Some may fast from one meal a day. The Holy Spirit will show you if you pray about it. The idea is to replace whatever it it you’re fasting from with a prayer time. The fast gives you a greater focus on God and His agenda, rather than your own.

Sign Up Here

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During this Lenten season, like Esther and the Jewish people, let’s once again unite as the people of God and fast for the healing and salvation of our nation.  To do the devotional “For Such a Time as This” please click on the link.

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