“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” – Psalm 55:22
What does it mean to cast our cares upon God? The term “cast” means to ‘throw”. For example, when you “cast” out a fishing line you are “throwing it out” into the water. When you cast your cares upon God, you must be willing to leave them with Him, not to take them back and continue to mull over them. If you spend time and energy trying to solve the very things that your prayed to God about, you wouldn’t be leaving it in God’s capable hands.
Stop Anxious and Fearful Thoughts
“ Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; “- 2 Corinthians 10:5
Are you worried? Concerned? Fearful? Take those thoughts captive. Read the scripture. “Cast down imaginations.” Dwelling on the “imaginations” that we need to be giving to God can easily become a stronghold that allows the enemy to fuel fears and doubts. Yes, these thoughts will come to mind, however, instead of dwelling on them, pray about them.
Replace Those Thoughts with Godly Thoughts
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditates day and night.” – Psalm 1:2
Meditating on God’s word and memorizing scripture allows you to more easily remember the truth when “stinking” thinking causes you to worry, doubt, or fear.
Sing Praises to God
Listen to scripture-based praise and worship songs. Fill your mind with inspiring hymns.
“Make a joyful noise unto God..” – Psalm 66:1
Rest In God
Waiting on God’s timing requires us to have patience, a gift of the Holy Spirit. Instead of worrying choose to trust God and rest in His promises.
“The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer” – 2 Samuel 22:2
Humility
In 1 Peter 5:7 we read that we are to “cast all our cares on Him, because He cares for you.” The next verse says:
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time..” – 1 Peter 5:6
This verse instructs us to humble ourselves before God and trust that He will take care of us. A humble attitude shifts our focus toward dependence on God instead of on ourselves. Our humility displays our need for God. God respects our willingness to rely on Him.
Prayer
“Be careful 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.” – Philippians 4:6-7
Wait
Turning our cares over to God does not mean that He instantly is going to resolve all our problems and give us everything we desire in the time frame that we expect. We read in Romans 8:28 that God works all things for our good and for His purpose, in His timing. When we remember that our physical life is temporary we can better understand that God’s timing is perfect.
Printable Scripture Cards
We all need help to replace anxious thoughts. We need reminders. As a suggestion, print the below scripture cards and review them often (maybe once a day) especially when you need to redirect your thoughts to God’s word. Another idea is to find scriptures that encourage you and write them on index cards for easy reference.
Inspiring Songs
