Deepening the Practice of Casting Your Cares Upon the Lord

Caroline Kent • February 21, 2025

A Guide for Those Who Know the Truth but Struggle to Rest in It

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." – 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)

Many believers know the truth of these Scriptures. They have studied the faithfulness of God, seen His providence at work, and experienced His grace sustaining them in past trials. Yet, they may still find themselves holding onto concerns, as if they must bear some of the weight alongside the Lord. This guide is not about knowing these things, but about deeply resting in them, actively casting and trusting in a way that frees us to walk in joyful confidence in God's care.

1. The Difference Between Knowing and Trusting

It is one thing to affirm God’s care in principle and another to apply it moment by moment. Many seasoned Christians continue to carry their burdens not because they lack faith, but because their trust remains partial—they entrust God with some things but unconsciously hold onto others.

The subtle but dangerous thought creeps in:

"I know God is sovereign, but what if I have missed something?"
"I trust Him, but I still feel responsible for the outcome."
"I believe He cares, but I don’t feel at peace—so maybe I haven’t truly handed it over."

At its root, the failure to fully cast our cares stems from a residual self-reliance—a desire to control or at least understand how God will work things out.

👉 Ask yourself: What part of my anxiety is rooted in a reluctance to fully surrender? Am I attempting to control what is not mine to control?

📖 Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

The call is not just to trust but to trust wholly—without leaning on our own wisdom or sense of security.

2. The Act of Casting: A Deliberate Transfer of Burden

The Greek word for casting (ἐπιρίψαντες, epiripsantes) in 1 Peter 5:7 carries the idea of a forceful throwing—as one would throw off a heavy load onto a beast of burden. It is not a passive laying down; it is an intentional transfer of weight onto another.

Practical Exercise: The Handing Over

When burdened:

Identify the core of the concern. Be specific: What is it that weighs on you?
Speak it aloud. Name it before the Lord. “Lord, I am weighed down by [this specific care].”
Envision the act of casting. Picture yourself taking this burden and placing it into His hands—then stepping back.
Declare His sufficiency. Affirm aloud:

“Lord, this is no longer mine to carry. I hand it over completely.”
“You alone govern this situation; my role is to trust, not to control.”

Refuse retrieval. If the same burden arises later, remind yourself: "I have already placed this into the Lord’s hands. It is no longer mine."

👉 Many place burdens before God, but later pick them up again through overthinking, worry, or doubt. True casting means leaving them with Him.

📖 Psalm 55:22 – "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

God’s promise is not just to receive the burden but to sustain us while carrying it.

3. The Trust That Rests: A Biblical Model

A. Christ’s Example in Gethsemane: Full Submission to the Father

Even in deep distress, Christ cast His care fully on the Father:

📖 Luke 22:42 – "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."

👉 Jesus did not ignore the weight of His sorrow, but He entrusted it wholly to the Father, yielding to His perfect will. If Christ, in His humanity, entrusted Himself fully, how much more should we?

B. Hezekiah’s Model: Laying It Before the Lord

📖 Isaiah 37:14-15 – "And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, saying…"

Hezekiah literally spread the threatening letter before God, physically handing over the problem. He did not try to figure it out himself—he brought it directly to the One who could act.

👉 Practical Application: When burdened, write it down—then physically place that paper before the Lord as an act of trust.

4. Letting God Care for Your Loved Ones

One of the hardest areas to surrender is the well-being of loved ones. There is a natural desire to protect, ensure their safety, and even influence their spiritual growth. But we are not their Saviour—God is.

📖 Matthew 6:25-26 – "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"

If God governs even the birds, how much more does He govern the needs and futures of loved ones?

👉 What this means practically:

Pray for them, not about them—entrust them to the Lord, rather than trying to manage their lives through your prayers.
Recognise that God’s care is better than yours—He loves them with a love greater than you ever could.
Surrender control—releasing them into His hands daily.

📖 2 Timothy 1:12 – "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

If God is able to keep your own soul, He is surely able to keep those you love.

5. Walking Forward in the Peace of Trust

The measure of whether we have truly cast our cares is peace.

If we continue to strive and worry, we have not truly let go.
If we rest in His sufficiency, we have fully entrusted Him.

📖 Isaiah 26:3 – "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

The Closing Prayer of Release

"Lord, I fully cast my cares upon You today. I surrender my fears, my uncertainties, and my desire to control. I trust that You love me and my loved ones more than I ever could. I choose to rest in Your perfect care. Sustain me in my surrender, and grant me peace as I walk in trust. Amen."

Final Thought:
It is not just about knowing these truths, but about living in restful surrender. Casting cares is not a one-time event—it is a moment-by-moment practice of trust.

Will you cast your burdens fully—and leave them in the hands of your faithful God?

He is more than able. 🙏

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Psalm 13 - A Plan for Healing

By Caroline Kent • February 20, 2025

This psalm not only models the journey from despair to trust but offers a divine pattern for how we, as pilgrims in this vale of tears, can navigate the storms of the soul in a God-honouring and healing way. 1. Honest Expression of Distress (Verses 1-2) David’s raw cry—“How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” (Psalm 13:1 KJV)—invites us to the sacred practice of lament. This is no small thing. Lament is faith wrestling with suffering. It is the cry of a soul that still believes, even when it feels abandoned. Biblical Parallels: Job’s Lament: “Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning” (Job 23:2 KJV). Job voiced his anguish, yet his suffering ultimately revealed God’s sovereign wisdom. Jeremiah’s Complaint: “Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed?” (Jeremiah 15:18 KJV). Jeremiah’s faithful cries amid rejection remind us that lament is not weakness but communion. Christ on the Cross: Our Lord Himself cried out in desolation: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 KJV). Christ, the Man of Sorrows, walked the ultimate path of forsakenness so that we never would. Puritan Wisdom: Thomas Watson reminds us, “The way to heaven is by Weeping-cross. Christ's cross is the sweetest burden that ever I bore; it is such a burden as wings are to a bird, or sails to a ship, to carry me forward to my harbour” (Watson, 1893). Lament is not a sign of spiritual failure; it is often the mark of a believer straining toward home. Counselling Reflection: We must teach our souls, and those we counsel, that we are permitted—even invited—to bring our most broken cries before the Lord. The altar of grace welcomes tears. Journal Prompt: “What am I truly feeling before the Lord? Have I dared to bring it to Him in honesty?” 2. Capturing the Nature of Inner Turmoil (Verses 2-4) David reveals his internal wrestling: “How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?” (Psalm 13:2 KJV). This depicts the mental toil we often endure—turning over our fears, seeking answers within ourselves, yet finding none. Biblical Parallels: Asaph’s Inner Struggle: “I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed” (Psalm 77:3 KJV). Asaph’s heart churned within him until he turned to the “years of the right hand of the most High” (Psalm 77:10 KJV). Elijah’s Despair: Under the juniper tree, Elijah cried, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life” (1 Kings 19:4 KJV). His exhaustion mirrored our own when we lean on our strength. Puritan Wisdom: Richard Baxter wisely observed, “Melancholy is not cured by arguments as much as by diverting thoughts, cheerful company, just labour, and hearty prayers” (Baxter, 1825). Left to ourselves, our minds often spiral downward. The remedy is to lift our gaze heavenward. Counselling Application: Guide the anxious heart away from self-reliance to God-reliance. We are not called to be self-sufficient; we are called to trust. Practical Task: When the “counsel of your soul” is troubling you, pause and pray aloud the promises of God. 3. Turning to God in Supplication (Verses 3-4) David turns his attention to the Lord: “Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death” (Psalm 13:3 KJV). Here, faith stirs. David, though weak, reaches toward God for help. Supplication shifts the gaze from the storm to the Captain of the ship. Biblical Parallels: Hezekiah’s Prayer: Facing death, Hezekiah turned to the wall and prayed (Isaiah 38:2 KJV). His prayer prolonged his life and strengthened his heart. Hannah’s Petition: In her distress, Hannah “poured out my soul before the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:15 KJV). God heard and answered, granting Samuel. Puritan Wisdom: William Gurnall exhorts, “The Christian’s prayer-book is his armory. There he doth sharpen his weapons and find new artillery, which he fetches down from heaven” (Gurnall, 1864). Prayer is the pivot where anxiety yields to hope. Counselling Practice: Teach the anxious to pray through their fears. Use the psalms as a script for prayer. Even when words fail, Scripture can speak for us. Prayer Exercise: Begin with Psalm 13; make its words your own. 4. Reframing with Gospel Truth (Verses 5-6) “But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation” (Psalm 13:5 KJV). This is the climax. David’s circumstances have not changed—but his perspective has. Biblical Parallels: Habakkuk’s Rejoicing: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom… yet I will rejoice in the Lord” (Habakkuk 3:17-18 KJV). Faith transcends circumstances. Paul’s Contentment: “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11 KJV). Contentment is rooted in Christ, not in ease. Puritan Wisdom: Jeremiah Burroughs calls this “the rare jewel of Christian contentment,” stating, “A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by way of addition, as by way of subtraction—by subtracting from his desires, rather than adding to his circumstances” (Burroughs, 1651). Counselling Practice: Help others recount the mercies of God. Gratitude reframes our fears and roots us in divine faithfulness. Gratitude Exercise: Record daily mercies. Revisit them in times of doubt. 5. Trusting the Captain in the Trenches David concludes, “I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:6 KJV). Trust births praise. We see this echoed in Paul and Silas singing in prison (Acts 16:25 KJV). Final Puritan Encouragement: John Flavel comforts us, “Providence is like a Hebrew word—it can only be read backwards” (Flavel, 1678). Often, it is only in hindsight that we see the Lord’s hand. Christ Our Captain: William Gurnall exhorts us, “Thou hast a Captain who never lost a battle, and therefore thou needest not fear to lose the day in His company. March on, Christian!” (Gurnall, 1665). We follow a Captain who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4 KJV). His cross is the anchor in every storm. Final Application for the Weary Soul Psalm 13 is not merely poetry; it is a battle plan: Pour out your lament before God. Recognise the turmoil within but refuse to dwell there. Turn to the Lord in supplication. Recall the mercies of Christ and trust in His salvation. Sing—though your voice may tremble—for He has dealt bountifully with you. Reflection and Prayer Exercise: Write your own psalm today. Follow the pattern of Psalm 13: Cry out your pain. Name your fears. Ask God for help. Declare His faithfulness. End with praise. Let this pattern become a well-worn path for your soul, leading you ever deeper into the arms of Christ. References: Burroughs, J. (1651). The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. Flavel, J. (1678). The Mystery of Providence. Gurnall, W. (1665). The Christian in Complete Armour. Sibbes, R. (2005). The Bruised Reed. Watson, T. (1893). The Art of Divine Contentment. Baxter, R. (1825). The Practical Works of Richard Baxter.