Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5:7 AMP

Jesus is capable and He has broad shoulders. He bore our sins and carried our sickness (1 Peter 2:24). We aren’t designed to carry burdens all the time. That’s why we need to defy the tendency to be super worried and instead cast our cares on God—He wants to bring vitality and strength to our lives.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not worry then, saying ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:31, 33). Worry feeds on constant chatter. At the point of anxiety, it’s important to first bridle your tongue, and then cast your concern on the Lord. Then, ask God to fill your mouth with praise (Psalm 71:8) and begin to minister to the Lord. You do that by praising Him for who He is and what He is capable of doing and by thanking Him for victory and breakthrough.

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

God has the answer to every human dilemma, so invite Him into your world: into the hospital room, into your marriage, into the battle you’re fighting, into your weird thinking. Invite God in when you are between a rock and a hard place—He knows how to deliver. Shake off melancholy and distrust, and even if you have sinned, run to God. He absolutely cares for you. Trust Him with your business, your relationships, your physical body, and your next steps in life! He is a Father who cares for His children affectionately and watchfully! He will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (Psalm 55:22).

God is faithful!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6- 7

Don’t be hijacked by anxiety or worry. Paul, who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament, understood how challenging life could be: “I have been very thoroughly initiated into the human lot with all its ups and downs” (Philippians 4:12 NEB [1]). But, even in the middle of challenge, we can reject anxiety and cast our worries and cares on God because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

Worry will distract us from a single-minded faith focus. The book of James warns that a “double-minded man [is] unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). Here are five points from author John Edmund Haggai about the dividing nature of worry:

Worry divides your feelings—causing your emotions to become uneven and volatile.

Worry divides your understanding—making your convictions lose their grounding, sapping you of confidence.

Worry divides your perception—meaning you are distracted and often fail to see the whole situation confronting you.

Worry divides your judgment—making your decision-making ill-informed and unreliable.

Worry divides your will—producing lethargy and dulling your ability to pursue your goals with confidence. —From the book “How to Win Over Worry” [2]

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8

Don’t let your feelings have the final say. It’s possible to throw off worry and stay faith-focused through high times and through hard times (Philippians 4:12-13). By taking everything to God in prayer, by maintaining a confession of thanksgiving, and by meditating on the good report, you can go through 2011 with renewed focus and walk in the next steps of what God has called you to.

God bless you in 2011,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church ®

Copyright © 2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.* Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [1] Scripture taken from the New English Bible. Copyright © 1961 by The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and The Syndics of the Cambridge University Press. [2] “ How to Win Over Worry.” Copyright © 2001/2009 by John Edmund Haggai. Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

When Jesus shows up in a rough situation He calms the storm. Fears that try to plague your life are not coming to you from God. God wants you to be filled with a victorious spirit. His perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). He loves you not on the basis of deeds done in righteousness but because of His mercy (Titus 3:5). When you realize that God loves you completely, and that nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:38-39), fear can’t stay.

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad” (Prov. 12:25). God is calling us to better things than giving ourselves over to worry from the time we wake up till the time we go to bed. When I’ve been worried and discouraged, God has instructed me to go to the Word and read His promises and remember His great faithfulness.

To defeat fear, make the Word your confession:
• My God shall supply all of my need. Philippians 4:19
• No weapon formed against me will prosper. Isaiah 54:17
• Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4
• The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. Proverbs 4:18
• Jesus became a curse for me so the blessings of God would come upon me. Galatians 3:13-14
• These blessings come upon me and overtake me. Deuteronomy 28:2
• My barn is filled with plenty. Proverbs 3:10
• My cup runs over. Psalm 23:5
• His grace is sufficient; His power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9
• Having done all to stand, I stand. Ephesians 6:13-15

Get in your A-game by getting in the Word. Some of you will have to stop the negative intake you have been allowing into your life. Some of you need to meditate on the scripture in Philippians: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:6-7). Your situation may feel hopeless, but with God nothing is impossible. Give your worry over to Him and choose to step into the New Year with a spirit of faith.

God’s promises are true,

Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2008 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.