Don’t you wish you could hear Jesus saying this to you in person each time you feel anxious, rather than reading about it as part of his Sermon on the Mount?

There are many verses in the Bible that address worry. The 34th verse of Matthew 6 concludes a discussion of worry over material provisions. Jesus explained that the Father knows all our needs and will provide for them. He most likely preached it because He knew, along with the Father, how we are so prone to worry.

Truth is, these spoken words were not just a suggestion. They were (and are) a command. Paul reiterated this in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

So why do Christians still make worrying a habit? Why do we fret over things we are never meant to try to control? Why do we stare at the ceiling in the middle of the night as peaceful sleep evades us?

Can you picture a world where no one ever worried or had concern for what tomorrow might bring? Jesus wanted his followers, and all future believers, to grasp this command. He exhorts us to release the burden of concerns — the root of which is fear — to God and to trust in Him for all. When we hold onto worry, we are usurping God’s role in our lives. Instead, we need to lay down all of our burdens at His feet.

Lord, forgive me when I’ve tried to handle all my concerns on my own, and have made worry a habit. Help me to trust and lean on You for all my needs, and to come to you daily with prayer and petition, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Go Deeper – Pick out a few Bible verses that carry the word worry or the word anxious and write them down. Now flip the paper over and write down some verses that include the word trust. Make a list of any overwhelming concerns you have and then scratch them out, one by one, as you say out loud the verses you wrote.

Editor’s Note: We’d like to thank Melissa for volunteering to write devotionals for us. She is now pursuing a career in television in order to spread the gospel, and we pray for her continued success.



Tags: Sermon on the Mount Matthew 6
Photo Credit: Boris Baldinger