Cast All Your Anxiety on Him - Philippians 4:6-7

Most of our worry and anxiety come from focusing on circumstances, problems, and the "what ifs" of this life. Granted, it's true that some anxiety is physiological in nature and may require medical treatment, but the everyday anxiety that most believers deal with is generally rooted in this one thing: unbelief.

Cast All Your Anxiety on Him

George Mueller, the 19th-century evangelist, was known as a man of great faith and prayer. He said, "The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety." It has also been said that worry is unbelief in disguise.

Jesus Christ presents us with the cure for anxiety: faith in God expressed through prayer:

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ... Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:25-33, ESV)

Jesus could have summed up the whole lesson with these two sentences: "Cast all of your anxiety on God the Father. Show you trust him by bringing everything to him in prayer."

Throw Your Cares on God

The Apostle Peter said, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7, NIV) The word "cast" means to throw. We throw off our cares and toss them onto God's big shoulders. God himself will take care of our needs. We throw our cares on God through prayer. The book of James tells us that the prayers of believers are powerful and effective:

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16, NIV)

The Apostle Paul taught the Philippians that prayer cures anxiety. According to Paul in our key verse (Philippians 4:6-7), our prayers ought to be filled with thanksgiving and gratitude. God answers these kinds of prayers with his supernatural peace. When we trust God with every care and concern, he invades us with divine peace. It's the kind of peace we can't understand, but it protects our hearts and minds--from anxiety.

Worry Zaps Our Strength

Have you ever noticed how worry and anxiety drain your strength? You lay awake at night burdened with concerns. Instead, when worries begin to fill your mind, place those troubles in God’s capable hands. The Lord will tend to your concerns by either meeting the need or giving you something better. God’s sovereignty means our prayers can be answered far beyond even what we can ask or imagine:

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  (Ephesians 3:20, NLT)

Take a moment to recognize your anxiety for what it really is--a symptom of unbelief. Remember that the Lord knows your needs and sees your circumstances. He is with you now, walking through your trials with you, and he holds your tomorrow securely in his grip. Turn to God in prayer and trust in him completely. This is the only lasting cure for anxiety.