Have you ever been in a difficult situation where you were so worried about the outcome that you couldn’t stop thinking about it? Maybe you asked yourself, “Why is this happening to me?” Sometimes, it can be easy to fall into mental patterns like this. However, becoming preoccupied with our challenges does not get us closer to God’s solutions.
During my in-residence Way Corps training, we did an exercise consisting of a five-mile walk, carrying a thirty-pound backpack. We had to climb hills and not stray from the group, which was challenging for me because my legs are short. I had to jog almost the whole time in order to keep up. After an hour and a half, we finished the activity. I was exhausted. I can’t put into words the relief I felt when I took off my backpack. I feel the same relief when I am worried or anxious about something and I pray, imagining that I pass to God my heavy backpack full of anxieties and worries. God doesn’t want us burdened with worry or anxiety. He wants to carry those things for us.
I Peter 5:7:
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
We can learn from the Word of God how we can cast all our care upon Him and live with peace in our hearts.
Here are four keys to help us cast all our care on God:
1. Pray with believing: When we pray, we do so while believing to see God’s deliverance. Doing this, we will be anxious for nothing, because God not only wants to meet our needs and the desires of our hearts, He is able to do it also. Praying is like passing our heavy backpack full of anxieties and worries to Him. As a result, we will enjoy the peace of God in our hearts.
Philippians 4:6,7:
Be careful [Be anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
2. Get clear and concerned: Identifying the cause of any anxiety or worry can help us determine what we need to cast to God. Then we get clear and concerned on the desired outcome we are believing for. One way to get clear in our minds is by writing down the desired outcome we are believing for. The obstacle can seem larger when we are not clear on exactly what we are believing for. This helps us put our thoughts in order and avoid worries. We can be clear and focused, or concerned, on receiving answers to our prayers, thanking God that they are coming.
3. Find a specific verse to claim: God has given unto us exceeding great and precious promises to claim. He has an answer for everything that comes up in our lives, so we simply need to find a specific verse for a particular situation and believe with confidence that God will bring His Word and the solution to pass. To claim a promise from the Word is to invite God to help us with our challenges. One verse that we can confess and believe every time that we pray is Matthew 21:22: “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” We can expect to receive from God.
There is always a truth we can claim with believing in any situation. By doing this, the Word becomes a reality in our lives and we find that we don’t need to be worried or anxious because our prayers are answered. We can live in peace.
4. Take action: This is an important key because when we are afraid, we can be paralyzed. To overcome our fears, we need to take action on God’s Word. God will work within us to help us accomplish our goals.
A great example of someone who took action was David. He and his men returned home and were surprised with an unexpected and distressing situation. Their wives and children had been captured, and their anguish was so great that David’s men spoke of stoning him (I Samuel 30:1-6). David was greatly distressed, but overcame it by encouraging himself in the Lord his God. He controlled his thoughts, he inquired at the Lord (I Samuel 30:8), and he took action on God’s promise, as we can read in I Samuel 30:10: “But David pursued, he and four hundred men….” David had no fear or hesitation because he had prayed and he trusted in God. He and his men went after those who had taken their families. As a result of their action on God’s Word, they recovered all that had been taken and there was “nothing lacking to them” (I Samuel 30:18,19). David saw the promise of God come to pass. What a great example to remember in any situation when we are tempted to be afraid!
As believers, we can cast our care on God by applying these keys: pray with believing, get clear and concerned about what we desire or need, find a verse to claim, and take action on God’s Word. By doing these things, we can expect to receive the promises of God, and we can live light, without burdens. God is always good and always willing to help us with our burdens. You can pass to Him your heavy backpack of anxieties and worries and travel light, with peace in your heart.