We Are Not To Carry Worries

. . .casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ---1 Peter 5:7


The reason we are overwhelmed with fear, dread or anxiousness is because we are trying to handle our situations ourselves. So many of our worries are never spoken to others, we just let them go round and round in our mind. Then we get ourselves worked up into thinking those possibilities will turn in to realities. That is where we become anxious. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful (anxious) for nothing…” God did not send Jesus to this earth to die so that we could be anxious. We are not to be worried or anxious because God is faithful to those who love Him and Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil which involves fear!

You may ask, “How to I stop being anxious? What can I do to get peace back in my life?” That is a great question, because you are realizing that ANXIOUSNESS AND FEAR IS NOT NORMAL for the Christian! It is not the kind of life we have inherited from our King Jesus. He wants you to be able to live with confidence, that you will sleep peacefully all night, and that you can handle difficult situations with a calm, assertive, sound mind.

Scripture tells us how to deal with these day-to-day issues. Many people will say “Pray and God will take care of your problems.” Then, when they pray, things don’t change. God will answer prayers, but not when they are still full of anxiety and fear. It is true that Phil. 4:6 says “Be careful (anxious) for nothing,” but how do you do that? By “casting all your cares upon Him.” That word “cast” means to throw, fling, to deliberately hurl something. When we “cast our cares” we must deliberately release our problems by throwing them on to God. If there is anything that bothers us, we have been given permission to throw them on to God. But it doesn’t stop there. Here are six steps to give you peace:

1) Once you have “cast” your cares, don’t run back and pick them back up!
2) After you have prayed about a situation, don’t think about it anymore. Keep your mind focused on the answer to your prayer.
3) If thoughts about the situation come to your mind, don’t try to fight thoughts with thoughts. Speaking the Word of God aloud is the best way to fight thoughts. Speak what God’s Word says about your problem.
4) Stop trying to figure out the answer to your situation. Instead, trust in God’s ability to work it out for you.
5) If the devil tries to bring a picture of your problem to your mind, put it out of your mind immediately. Make yourself think on those things which are honest, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report. (Phil 4:8)
6) Use the words of your mouth and the thoughts of your mind to praise God for His Word and for the Word working in your life. Praise is a good way to keep your mind on the Lord – and off the problem. (Satan hates praise!)

Confession: Thank you, Father for caring enough for me to have sent Jesus to show us your love and care. Thank you for taking all my concerns, worries, and anxieties. I will let you have them and not come back for those things that bother me any more. I release them to you through Jesus’ Name.