He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.

~Luke 22:44 NLT

He had proudly denied the existence of God and spewed nothing but hate for him. But that was before he lay on his deathbed, sweating-blood scared.

The movie, God’s Not Dead, details the story of a battle between a college freshman and an atheist philosophy professor who challenges the young student to prove God’s existence—a battle the student wins when he asks the professor how he can hate someone who doesn’t exist.

Having a change of mind, the professor hurries to a Newsboys concert, only to be hit by a car while crossing the road. Fortunately, a local pastor is nearby and rushes to his side. Fear washes over the professor’s face as he realizes that perhaps God is alive after all. Willing to take the risk, he professes his belief in Jesus Christ just before he takes his last breath.

Fear also washed over Jesus before his death as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane—so much so that his sweat became like blood. Although God in the flesh, he was also very much human. He knew the agony involved in crucifixion, but realized his would be even more painful. He would take the sin of the world upon himself.

God has created within us a fight-or-flight mechanism that serves us well. When we find ourselves unwillingly in danger, God gives us healthy fear, which leads us to run away. This mechanism can also provide adrenaline power that we don’t typically have when we need to fight.

Satan, on the other hand, is the master of burdening us with unhealthy fear. This spirit debilitates and keeps us from fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. We’ll make excuses instead of forging ahead. This fear can also prevent us from forming healthy relationships, causing us to dwell on those that weren’t. With this fear, Satan can steal, kill, and destroy God’s intentions for us.

Overcoming the fear of sweating blood is as simple as acknowledging it, reminding ourselves that it isn’t coming from God, and asking God to replace it with a sound mind that trusts him to lead us into his bright future.

Give your fears to God, and let him replace them with a sound mind.

Father, I place my fears in your hands and ask for peace of mind, soul, and spirit.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2025: Sweating-Blood Fear: Martin Wiles: All Rights Reserved.