Casting our burdens on the Lord means going to God while we are burdened, with the very things that are causing us to doubt Him, to get discouraged in prayer, to feel weighed down in real life. This is not just optimistically throwing your garbage up into the air, hoping against hope that it won’t just fall back down on your head. No, this is resting in the concrete assurance of your Creator God.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer … let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6)

Prayer is the means God has given us for unburdening our souls. This is important to consciously, biblically affirm. Otherwise, we may feel weighed down with anxiety, with guilt, with discouragement, or with sorrow and yet have no solution for these soul burdens.

Does that perhaps describe you? As a Christian, you have a vague awareness in the back of your mind that we should not be constantly walking around with 1000-pound weights on our souls, but honestly you have forgotten lately what the biblical answer to this problem is.

Maybe you have tried the same things everyone at work or school is trying. “Escapism” seeks to avoid challenges by ignoring or entertaining them away. “Stoicism” tries to muscle or muddle our way through the pain by sheer force of will, or lack of feeling. Personal “problem-solving” determines to overcome issues in our own strength or wisdom. Or “positive thinking” attempts to conquer real problems with unrealistic optimism.

In the face of every human means of facing difficulties, Paul tells us give our burdens to God in prayer.

Read More