Prayer#5

      The Moffat's translation says, “Praying with all manner of prayer.” The NIV translation says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” There is more than one type of prayer. So far we've looked at the prayer of Petition, the prayer of Consecration, & the prayer of Worship. Today I want to look at the prayer of commitment or casting your cares upon the Lord.

      I. 1PE 5:7

                  A. I think the AMP translation is even better. It says, “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. Now look with me to PHIL 4:6

                                          a. That phrase, “Be careful for nothing”, can be a little unclear to us.

                                          b. It literally means, “Do not have any anxiety about  anything”.

                                          c. Another translation says, “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything.”

                              2. Go back with me to MATT 6:25‑34

                                          a. The phrase, “Take no thought”, found in these Vs., is the exact phrase found in (PHIL 4:6) which says, “Be careful for nothing.”

                                          b. Jesus is not saying that it's wrong to think about these things, He's saying that it's wrong to be worrying about them or having anxiety about them.

                  B. Sometimes you run into people that think that it's impossible to stop worrying.

                              1. And they might have some problem, like their child is missing or something major like that and they say it's impossible to stop worrying.

                                          a. But God says don't worry, He's says to cast all your cares upon Him.

                                          b. If He tells you not to worry then you have the ability to stop worrying.

                                                      i. You may have to work at it, but you can do it if you try.

                              2. Again (1PE 5:7) says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (KJV)

                                          a. The AMP said, “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. ”

                                          b. This word “CARE” in looking it up in the Strong's concordance says that it has to do with distractions.

                                                      i. You could even word (1PE 5:7) this way, “Casting all your distractions upon the Lord.”

      II. Why are we to cast all our worries, all our fears, all our anxieties, all our distractions upon Him?

                  A. There is a couple of reasons.

                              1. 1st of turn back with me to 1PE 5:7‑9

                                          a. God is giving us a list of things that we need to be doing.

                                          b. He says, Cast your cares upon the Lord, be sober,

be vigilant.  WHY?

                                          c. Because your adversary the devil is walking about seeking whom he may devour.

                                          d. How is he going to be able to devour us?

                                                      i. V. 9 says......

                                          e. If you're not resisting him steadfast in your faith, he might be able to devour you.

                                                      i. You're not in faith when your worrying.

                                                      ii. Worry is doubt, or you could say it's faith in what the Devil's trying to do.

                                          f. But it does say that when you resist the activity of the Devil, steadfast in your faith, God will bring you closer to perfection, He will establish you, strengthen you, and settle you. V 10

                                          h. The NIV says this of (1Peter 5:7‑10) “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (8) Be self‑controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (9) Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (10) And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

      III. T 2nd reason why we should not worry is that worry is SIN.

                  A. We already established the fact that worry is DOUBT.

                              1. When you're worrying about something you're not believing God for the answer, you're thinking about what's going to happen and the thoughts are always negative.

                              2. ROM 14:23

                                          a. Worry is doubt to an extreme. Worry is not of faith, therefore it's SIN.

                                          b. What does this V say, “For whatsoever {is} not of faith is sin.” (KJV)

                  B. Besides looking at it from that point of view, the Word of God is very clear that God does not want us to worry or have anxiety.

                              1. As a matter of fact I would say that it's more of a commandment.

                                          a. In (MAT 6:25) He says, “Take no thought for your life.” In other words don't worry about your life.

                                          b. In (MAT 6:34) He says, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow.” Don't worry about tomorrow.

                                          c. In (1PE 5:7) He says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

                                          d. In (PHI 4:6) He says, “Be careful for nothing.”

                              2. God is not just asking us not to worry, but He's telling us not to worry.

      IV. Now how are we going to stop worrying?

                  A. If God tells you to stop doing something, and if we don't have the ability to do it that would make God unjust.

                              1. But God is not unjust, if He tells us to do something, we have the ability to do it.

                              2. The same is really true if God tells us to stop something, but doesn't tell us how to stop it.

                                          a. But God does tell us how to stop worrying.

                                          b. (1PE 5:7) Says, “Casting all your care upon him.”

                                          c. That means to give them to the Lord, trust Him for the answer.

                  B. What you have to do is go to the Father, and that's prayer, and say Father this is a problem that I have and I've been worrying about it, but I know that your Word says to cast all my cares upon you, so I do that now, I give you all my cares, my worries, all my fears, and all my anxieties.

                              1. Now once you do that don't take them back.

                                          a. Leave them in His hands. And trust Him that He will work them out.

                                          b. Sure do all you can do, but don't worry about it while you're doing what you can.

                              2. If worry starts to come back then just give them right back to the Lord.

                                          a. Sometimes you might have to give them to the Lord many times in a day.

                                          b. The moment you begin to worry give them back to the Lord

TFC February 4, 1990 WOLCC 6/14/92 SUN AM From Kenneth E. Hagin's book Prevailing Prayer to Peace Page 58-60 & Also from his book Casting Your Cares upon the Lord.