Casting your cares upon the Lord
1.Goal
We will learn that God does not want us to be worried, overly concerned, or anxious about anything. We will make a decision to be worry-free.
2.Introduction
God cares about you affectionately. He does not want you to carry one burden, one care, or one worry. Instead, He has provided a way for you to live in peace every day of your life – not just a few days – but every day of your life!
3.Questions
What causes you to be worried now? Do you think it is God’s will to worry about it?
- Content
Let us look at Scriptures regarding our worry and care.
A. Abide in Jesus and His words abide in you
John 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
Notice the word “you” is used five times in this verse. You see, whether or not your prayers are heard and answered depends on you more than it does on God because Jesus told you in this verse how to receive answers to your prayers. As you abide in Jesus and His words abide in you, you know what the will of God is before you pray. If His Word promises you something, then it is God’s will for you. God is not going to promise something that is not His will. He would be lying then, and the Bible says that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19).
To abide in Jesus, the first thing you have to do is get in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” The way you get in Him is by being born again, the way you abide in Him is through fellowshipping with Him. And then you allow His words to abide in you. Find Scriptures that promise you the things you are praying for. Jesus said, “…My words.” You find Scriptures, not just one Scripture. For example, Philippians 4:19 and Matthew 6:8 promise you that God shall supply your needs.
If a brother asks you, “What are you praying for?” You answer, “I don’t know.” That is exactly what you will get. In other words, you are not going to get anything.
B. Be a doer of the Word
James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Many times the problems come when God’s words are not abiding in us. For the Word to abide in us, we must be doers of the Word and not just hearers only. Many people are self-deceived, and they want to blame the devil for all their problems. But so much of the time, the trouble is not with the devil but with them.
The Word says, “Do not be anxious” (Philippians 4:6). Certainly, we are tempted to fret. If we want our prayers to be answered, we must not fret.
C. Make a decision to be anxious for nothing and seek God in prayer
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The Bible says, “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” If you are not going to worry, do what the Bible says to do! In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God. This is talking about your requests – things that concern you, things that worry you, things that cause you to fret, and things that cause you to be overly anxious.
God would never ask us to do something we could not do. He would not tell us not to worry if it were not possible for us to be worry-free. God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). Now even with natural human love, our own mother would not have required something of us that we could not do! So if God requires something of us that we can’t do, then we would have a right to challenge His justice.
D. Casting your care upon Him
1 Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
The Amplified Bible says, “Casting the whole of your care, all of your anxieties, all of your concerns, all of your worries once and for all.” Don’t do it every day – casting your cares on the Lord and then taking them back again. No, do it once and for all; then that is the end of it!
You can get 999 godly men or women to pray for you, but as long as you are going to fret and hold on to your cares, you are not going to get any answers. But if you will learn to turn you cares over to the Lord, He will work on your situation while you’re asleep! You can go to sleep without worrying.
The heavenly Father wants you to know that He does not want you to worry. Many people are sick or die because they are worried. Worry can kill you. When somebody says that tobacco use can kill people. But when we preach against worry, people will not try to get rid of it. Worry is the worst habit of the two. Tobacco will kill us. But worry will kill us too.
When we face a seemingly hopeless situation, the devil may try to ridicule us by saying, “What are you going to do now?” We tell him, “I will tell you what I am going to do! I am going to go home, go to bed, and go to sleep. I am not going to worry a minute. I cast my care upon the Lord and He will take care of me.” We can go to asleep like a baby. We will not worry. We refuse to worry.
Cast your care upon the Lord because He cares about you affectionately.
5.Discussion Questions
A. Please explain how you will abide in Jesus in a practical way on a daily basis?
B. What do you do in order to allow Jesus’ words to abide in you?
C. After you learn this lesson, do you make a decision to stop being anxious and to cast your care upon the Lord?
6.Memorized Scriptures
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
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