Devotion for January 23, 2025

“Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth.” (Psalm 46:10, GW)

Have you ever been so worried that you felt like you physically weighed more because of the emotional weight you were carrying?

Worry is emotional weight that hinders your progress to spiritual maturity. The Bible says in Proverbs 12:25, “Worry weighs a person down” (NLT). It starts to make you feel heavy, pressed down, and depressed.

God doesn’t want you walking through life like that. He doesn’t want you loaded down with burdens and cares and fears and anxieties. He wants you to release those things.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth” (GW).

When you worry, you’re “playing God.” You’re acting as if God isn’t in control and doesn’t care about you. You’re trying to take matters into your own hands.

Instead, God wants you to relax and just let him be God. He can take care of the things in your life that have weighed you down for so long.

You know all those things that you worried about last year that didn’t happen? You need to stop worrying about them now. You need to let them go.

How do you let go of your worries? You don’t get rid of worry through fads, diets, pills, seminars, or even therapy — though some of those things can be helpful in our lives. There is only one way to get rid of worry: By praying about it.

You can worry, or you can pray. You’re going to do one or the other throughout your life. The more you worry, the less you’re going to pray. The more you pray, the less you’re going to worry. Prayer is the way you release your worries and heavy burdens.

“Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness … will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life” (Philippians 4:6-7, MSG).

Think about it:

  • What are the worries that you feel weighed down by today?
  • What do you need to say to God about your worries?
  • When you let go of your worries, what does it leave space for in your life?

Prayer

Lord, as a sinful human being, there are times I worry about the things that are in my life, both good and bad. Constantly remind me that I need to leave those worries with You through constant prayer, and let that prayer give me peace.

Stay encouraged!

Pastor Mike

Pastor Bailey Avatar

Articles: 1782