Overcoming Fear of Speaking in Public: Encouragement from the Bible
Do you get anxious about speaking in public? You know—the butterflies in your stomach. As you’re on the edge of your seat waiting to get up to speak, your heart rate goes up, you breathe heavier, maybe sweat from nervousness. I’ve been there. If your goal is overcoming fear of speaking in public, I list five steps you can take to that end as well as the one secret I learned that has really helped me.
First though, I’d like to share two Bible passages from men who God called as leaders. By their own and human standards, they didn’t feel adequate.
The first two passages that immediately come to my mind include the names of two Bible characters: Moses and Jeremiah.
the call of moses
Exodus 3:9-14
And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’
Exodus 4:10
Moses said to the LORD, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
Moses felt inadequate saying that he was never eloquent and that he was slow of speech and tongue. Someone else in the Bible said something similar to the Lord…
the call of jeremiah
Jeremiah 1:4-10
The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew a you,
before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
“Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.
Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
The common denominator regarding both situations includes God’s response: “I am with you…” or “I will be with you.” In both cases, He assures each of them of His presence as they go and speak. These two passages can apply both to public speeches and private, individual speaking assignments.
Secret to Overcoming Fear of Speaking in Public
In addition to the steps that I’m about to share with you on how to overcome fear of speaking in public, I want to mention that what has helped me the most is preparing and familiarizing myself with my topic and speech as much as possible.
Preparation is key.
One of my professors during a speech class in Bible college stated one of his principles that resonated with me the most:
Less scared when prepared.
Now just to be clear, it does take a lot of time and effort. You need to be dedicated. I would write notes or an outline and go over the document many times.
It's a good idea to pursue an extensive time period before the speech to get everything ready. In other words, make clear that you need to know well in advance when your speech is scheduled to give yourself ample time to prepare. It won't help to find out you have to give a speech tomorrow and scramble the night before to get things done. At least in my case, for the most part, that hasn't been a problem.
I consider significant amount of practice and preparation in relation to each assignment to be key to overcoming fear of speaking in public. In this way, I am able to maintain more consistent eye contact with my audience, and as a result it feels much more natural than if I simply write an outline and read through those notes when I speak.
In addition, whenever possible, it's best to keep speeches, Bible messages, etc. as succinct as you can make it (saying as much in fewer words). In that way, you can prepare much more efficiently and proficiently as well as feel more confident about the idea of delivering the speech.
I have found that giving a 15 to 20-minute sermon is much less overwhelming for me than trying to speak for a whole hour.
5 Steps to Overcoming Fear of Speaking in Public: From a Christian Perspective
You can follow all the general principles about public speaking, but as a Christian, if you're not relying on God's Holy Spirit, such an approach is bound to come back to haunt you in some way. It's important to renew and maintain your focus on the Lord through the process of preparation as well as in the moments before, during, and after your speech.
1. Focus on the promise of God that He is and will be with you.
Find inspiration by meditating on the above passages related to Moses and Jeremiah. I would do this prior to a speaking assignment.
2. Pray and ask for wisdom.
As James 1:5 makes clear, If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. It sounds simple, but asking God for help and getting other people to pray puts you in more of a relaxed position because you are letting God take control. You're relying on Him--not yourself.
3. Practice thoroughly.
If you need to use notes, that’s okay. Not everyone is a natural when it comes to extemporaneous speaking. I go over the notes many times to familiarize myself with the speech. Then, when I get up and speak, I don’t look like I am reading my script word for word. As mentioned above, I’m able to maintain quite a bit of eye contact. As I am preparing, I ask the Lord for wisdom and guidance, resting on His promise that as I acknowledge Him in all my ways, He will make my paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). It's important to prepare on a spiritual level first and foremost.
4. Exercise.
I don’t just mean physical exertion. Use relaxation techniques as well. Those types of exercises may involve deep, rhythmic breathing from the diaphragm. Rapidly breathing from your upper chest/lungs can prolong the anxiety. Breathing from the diaphragm activates the parasympathetic nervous system:
The following website article from Understanding the stress response - Harvard Health explains:
"The sympathetic nervous system functions like a gas pedal in a car. It triggers the fight-or-flight response, providing the body with a burst of energy so that it can respond to perceived dangers. The parasympathetic nervous system acts like a brake. It promotes the 'rest and digest' response that calms the body down after the danger has passed."
Understanding the stress response - Harvard Health
In addition, physical exertion like running can help with anxiety as well.
As you do these exercises, release that anxiety to the Lord. As 1 Peter 5:7 says, cast your anxiety on the Lord, because He cares for you.
5. Find Ways to Engage With Your Audience Prior to and in Your Speech Including Use of Humor, Relatable Elements, etc.
What has helped me in the process of overcoming fear of public speaking is getting the audience laughing. Such engagement with my audience provides a sense of relief, if you know what I mean. Reflect on a humorous story you can use or lighthearted situation you can remember that will relate to your message. Also, even prior to your speech, sermon, testimony, or whatever it may be, you might find it helpful to interact with at least some people who encourage you with a smile or some sort of affirmation.
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For an extensive list of prayers you can pray before getting up in front of people to speak, go to my other page on this topic:
https://www.encouragementscriptures.com/prayers-for-public-speaking.html
For more on breaking free of relational anxiety in general, go to:
Bible Verses About Confidence | Encouragement Scriptures
For a list of 10 verses that helped me (as I recited them) break free from severe anxiety and panic attacks, see my page: