How to win over worry

Pray about everything.  

Prayer needs to be our first response.  Not our last resort.  

What do we need to give to God in prayer?

 

Philippians 4:6-7

New Living Translation

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

 

1 Peter 5:7

New Living Translation

7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Winning Over Worry

Matthew 6:24-34  (ESV)

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

25 “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? 

Anxious means a divided or distracted mind about things that might happen. 

26 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?

27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 

28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 

29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

Worry is an insult to God because what it really says is that we don't really trust Him. 

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 

We must live with confidence in God's ability to take care of us.   

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 

The devil tries to get us to think about the things that we can't control instead of the faithfulness of our heavenly Father.

32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 

The problem with worry is that we struggle with God over the control of our lives.  We believe in ourselves over God's ability to provide.  

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

We must approach life's problems from God's perspective and not ours. 

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

My problems in my hands is just problems.  My problems in God's hands produces miracles.

Darryl Craft, Whitesburg Baptist Church

http://www.whitesburgbaptist.org/connect/messages/winning-over-worry/

An Infusion of Courage

Philippians 4:6-7  (ESV)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Worry is concern about an uncertain outcome.  It is the opposite of faith.  Uncertainty makes you reluctant to step out in faith.

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Prayer is the remedy of anxiousness. There is no problem too big for God to handle, or too small for God to care about.  

1. Anxiety IS the real problem not the problem that you're worried about. 

2. Prayer remedy's the worry.

3. Prayer releases peace in our lives; therefore, peace is the byproduct of prayer.

We are not to be the carriers of our problems, but the courier of our problems to God.

1 Peter 5:7  (ESV)

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.  

God therefore is owner of our problems after we've given them to Him not us.  To take them back, is taking what's God's not ours. 

If we do not leave our problems at the feet of Jesus, we are in effect questioning the reliability of God's character.  

We have the name of Jesus to sign His name on our prayers which gets God's attention.  He is our hope in our hopelessness.  

Psalm 34:3 (ESV)

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

    and let us exalt his name together!

What we magnify exerts influence over us.  

Psalm 68:19 (ESV)

19 Blessed be the Lord,
    who daily bears us up;
    God is our salvation. 

Lord, we repent from carrying our own burdens.  

Lord, in you, your promises are yes and amen. 

2 Corinthians 1:20 (ESV)

20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

Lord, our great commission is to reach the lost.  Help us to reach the lost, and populate heaven.

Psalm 55:22  (ESV)

22 Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.

Lord, give us an infusion of courage to do your will and to reach the lost.

Lord, give us strength in our weakness for hurting people.  

Lord, raise up laborers.

Brian Bagwell, Church of the Highlands, Oxford Campus

The Antidote to Worry

Anything that is in the center of my life besides God is an idol.  

How do you know if you have a idol?  You begin to worry.  

Worry is the warning light that you have an idol. 


If Jesus Christ is at the center of your life, you have peace. (Isaiah 26:3)


Worship is the antidote to worry. 


Rick Warren

The Worry Trap

(Luke 23:44-46) It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Surrender your day to God, and let it go.

The Worry Trap

(Psalm 31:4-5) Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

(Matthew 6:24-30 NLT) “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. 

You cannot serve both God and money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 

Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 

And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”

Prayer is Letting Go

(Philippians 4:6-7 LB) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs … If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.

1. Get to know God.

The more that you know God.  The more you'll trust Him.

(Matthew 6:31-32) “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

To overcome worry, give your time and attention to something else.

(Matthew 6:32 Message) “People who don’t know God and the way He works worry over these things…”

2.Put God first in every area of your life.

(Matthew 6:33) “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

3. Live one day at a time.

(Matthew 6:34) “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

To live through a bad day— place it into the hands of God and

leave it there.  ~Jack Hayford

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands

Video

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/finally-surrender-your-day-to-god-and-let-it-go

All scripture is from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.

Turn your Worry to Worship

When the priory of your life is restored, God can release His blessings to you.

Matthew 6:33 New Living Translation (NLT)

33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 

Worrying about things is a waste.  Redirect you worries into worship of God.

Philippians 4:6-7 English Standard Version (ESV)

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Make a one time decision to worship God first. 

Matthew 6:33 New Living Translation (NLT)

... he will give you everything you need.

Ephesians 3:20 English Standard Version (ESV)

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

Stovall Weems, guest at Church of the Highlands.

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/turn-your-worry-into-worship