Fear of Public Speaking? You are not alone. The fear of public speaking is the most dreaded fear people have. There are many reasons people that have this fear. Some people are naturally more shy than others. People are afraid they won’t know what to say or it may not come out right. They don’t want to look bad in front of others.
Despite all the reasons people have for the fear of public speaking, anyone can overcome this fear. This article will give you specific tips on overcoming the fear of public speaking There is also an article on our other website with tips for overcoming performance anxiety when playing a musical instrument in front of groups of people.
Reading out loud is a form of public speaking that can also be feared. Just this last week I talked with a couple people who have a deep fear of reading out loud. I remember having that fear years ago, but now just love reading out loud.
Fear Of Public Speaking In The Bible
Want to know who had the fear of public speaking in the Bible? One of the most famous leaders in the Bible, Moses, was very afraid of public speaking and tried to talk God out of using him because of his ‘slow speech’. God said that his brother Aaron could do the talking for him, but Moses, like many of us, simple grew out of his shyness.
Others include King Saul who hid himself before he was King and Gideon who considered himself to be the least among the smallest clan. Seems to me that God loves using people that seem the least in their own eyes in order to show how Great He is in them. How about the disciples? The rulers were amazed at the boldness and speech of Jesus’ disciples knowing that they were ‘unlearned men’ that had been with Jesus.
Shyness is a trait that can be overcome. Jesus tell us often to fear God, not men. With His Spirit, we can be bold, like Moses was.
Main Reasons For The Fear Of Public Speaking
1. Shy Personality. People can change overtime and shyness can absolutely be conquered. One of the ways it can be overcome is by focusing on other people and not yourself. What can you say to encourage someone else? How can you be a blessing in someone’s life?
2. The Unknown. The other major reason people have fear is because they may not know what to say. The solution to this reason is to be super prepared.
Afraid to read out loud? Practice reading out loud at home. I always talk about praying before you practice the guitar, you can also pray for help in every area of your life.
Need to give a speech? Prepare what you want to say and think about how you can help your audience, then practice, practice, practice. When you are prepared, it will not be difficult to speak in public.
Think more about your audience than yourself. And again, do everything in prayer.
You might also consider joining a group like Toastmasters. It’s specifically for people who want to get practice and tips for speaking in front of groups. Here is a link to their 2012 competition which may be inspiring.
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