God’s Path To Boldness: How Naming Fears Sets You Free

Last night, I did a two-way prayer with a friend, and it was so lovely. During it, I wrote about something that surprised me—some unnamed fears I’ve been carrying. These fears have been swirling around in my head, heavy and unspoken, for a very long while, but I hadn’t taken the time to name them. Until now.

I’ve been watching this sermon where the pastor said,

We can’t conquer what we don’t confront.

And that has stuck with me. For quite some time, I’ve felt this need to name my fears, but I hadn’t done it. Until this morning.

The Transformative Power of Naming Fears

In this morning’s two-way prayer, I sat down and named them. I wrote them out. And as I was writing, something amazing happened—the fears started to dissipate. Some of them felt downright silly when I saw them on the page, like, This isn’t going to happen. But even for the fears that could happen, I thought, Worse things have happened before. I made it through those, and I can make it through this. I even read them aloud to my small group.

It was like clarity hit me in waves. I realized that some of these fears aren’t even worth holding onto because they’re tied to things I’m willing to take risks for. Love, true love, for instance, is always worth the risk. Not struggle love or anything that asks me to lose myself, but God’s love—the kind of love that’s rooted in Him, the kind of love that calls me to rest and invites me to create heaven on earth. That kind of love is always worth the risk. And even then, it’s hardly a risk! True love isn’t risky, but we’ve conflated true love with struggle love and now we thing love is risky when in truth, only struggle love is risky. It’s dangerous, even!

I don’t need to be afraid of my fears. As soon as I named them, they started to dissolve. And for that, I’m so grateful.

There’s so much I want to do in this life. So much I want to be. But what I didn’t realize until today is that some of my fears—the unnamed ones—were blocking me. I’ve been praying for a while now, “God, remove my blocks. Hlpe me remove my blocks,” and I didn’t know that my fears were the very blocks I’ve been asking Him to take away!

I had the power all along. I always do!

And all it took was naming them. All I had to do was be bold enough to sit with them long enough to put them into words. To be still for long enough to let capture the fears whirling around inside of my head. To take them captive and articulate them. After all,

For 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

That scripture resonates so deeply with me. It reminds me that fear isn’t from God—it’s something that tries to hold me back from the bold, courageous steps I’ve been called to take. But the truth is, I’ve been equipped with power, love, and a sound mind (another translation says self discipline), which means I already have everything I need to overcome these fears and step boldly into God’s plan for my life.

Now, I’m excited. I’m excited to keep naming them, to see what else might come up, and to see how this practice transforms me!

A Reflection Shared with Me
After sharing this prayer, someone offered their own reflection:

Daughter, you know that fears are unfounded thoughts that the ego puts in your mind. Don’t listen. Listen to me. Risks are not risks if we act in faith, believing God’s will is the right path.

That felt like another layer of confirmation. Fears might come, but when I act in faith– not if, but when!– fear loses its power. The path God sets before me isn’t risky—it’s purposeful, sure and certain, even when it feels uncertain.

So here I am, ready to continue confronting and naming my fears, trusting that God is leading me to exactly where I need to be.

A Prayer for Boldness and Grace

Heavenly Father, I come to You boldly, just as You invite us to. You remind us that we can approach Your throne of grace with confidence, asking for what we need. Lord, I ask You to help me remove the blocks in my life. Remove my fears, especially the ones I haven’t yet named, and help me take bold steps by faith to do the work You’ve called me to do. To be who You’ve called me to be.

Father, You’ve created me, called me, purposed me, and destined me to live a life that reflects Your glory and Your great Love. Help me live well, according to Your perfect plan for my life. Remove the fears and other blocks that hold me back, Lord, so that I can step into the fullness and abundance of what You have for me. Guide me to live and plan my life in alignment with Your will, and let my steps reflect the boldness and love You’ve placed within me. Let my work reflect my faith.

And so it is. It is well. It is already well and done! Amen.

What Fears Are You Ready to Surrender?

Take some time to sit with your fears—name them, write them out, and invite God as you understand Him/ Her into the process. You might be surprised at how quickly they start to lose their power. What fears are you ready to name and surrender? Share in the comments or bring them to your next quiet moment with Him.