Apr 19, 2013
How To Cast Your Burdens On The Lord
A Painful Phone Call
I just finished a phone call with a close friend.
He faces problems. Big problems. He’s fearful. Worried. Hurting. He can’t see any good options — any good outcomes — and He doesn’t know what to do.
And when I finished the phone call I felt burdened.
What Are Burdens?
We know what burdens feel like. They make our hearts feel heavy — like something is weighing them down.
So what causes this? I think it’s usually because we see something painful in our future. And that fear of future pain is a weight — a burden — on our hearts.
Think about your own heart. Are you feeling burdened? If so, identify what pain you are fearing.
Maybe it’s the pain of a broken marriage. Or a lost job. Or wayward children. Or poor health.
The reason you are burdened is because you are fearing that pain.
But what can we do when we feel burdened?
Good News
Look at what David tells us to do with our burdens in Psa 55:22 —
Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Whenever we are burdened, God promises to sustain us and not let us be moved (which means to be shaken or totter).
But there is something we must do to receive this promise. We must cast our burden on the Lord.
What Does That Mean?
We often talk about casting our burdens on the Lord. But what does that really mean?
After my phone call, when I felt burdened, I quoted this verse. I told the Lord I wanted to cast my burden on him. I asked him to take it. I said I didn’t want it. I asked him to lift it from me.
But there was no change. My heart was still burdened. I did not feel the Lord sustaining me.
So what does it mean to cast a burden on the Lord?
I went out to the creek trail and prayed about it. And I ended up taking four steps that powerfully helped me —
First, turn to God through Jesus
Don’t just say “it will be fine,” or “it will all work out,” or “God will take care of it.”
None of those involve you actually meeting with the Living God.
So turn your heart to God Himself. Come to God, cleansed by Christ’s blood and clothed with His righteousness.
Turn to God and know that through Christ — he loves you, welcomes you, and promises to help you (Heb 4:16).
Second, ask God to keep this painful event from happening
Ask God to save your marriage, keep you employed, save your children, give you good health.
To strengthen your faith, think about times when God delivered His people — Israel from Egypt, Joseph from his dungeon, Bartimaeus from his blindness.
Strengthen your faith, and then pray that God would deliver you from this painful event (Psa 50:15).
God may choose to deliver you, which would be a great mercy. But the Bible also teaches that He may not, which is why at this point you probably still feel burdened. So this next step is so crucial —
Third, trust that if He allows this painful event to happen, it’s to bring you more joy in Him.
Your greatest joy is knowing God, beholding God, loving God (Psa 16:11). And God promises to orchestrate everything — including every pain, sorrow, and trial — to bring you even more joy in Him (Rom 8:18; 2Cor 4:17).
So take time to set your heart on God. Use His Word to help you see His love, majesty, glory, and grace. Use passages like Gen 1:1; Isa 6:1-7; Mark 15:39; Rom 5:1-10.
Pray over God’s Word until the Holy Spirit helps you see and feel the all-surpassing worth of God the Father and Jesus the Son.
Now — look at your future. You see that this painful event might happen. But now you also see that if it does, it will mean not just pain, but gain — the gain of more joy in God now and forever.
This is when the burden will start to lift — when we see and feel the worth of God, and that all future pain will bring us even more of God.
But there’s one more step to completely remove the burden —
Fourth, trust that if He allows this painful event to happen, He will take care of every need it creates.
He will. He promises. He will provide —
- all the wisdom you need to make tough decisions (James 1:5)
- all the finances you need to fulfill His call on your life (Mat 6:33)
- all the comfort you need for your heartaches (2Cor 1:3-4)
- all the grace you need to keep faithful to Him (2Cor 9:8)
- all the strength you need to persevere (Phil 4:13)
- all the joy in Him you need to make this all worth it (Rom 8:18)
Pray over these promises until the Holy Spirit strengthens your faith. Pray until you trust that God will take care of your every need.
Cast your burden on the Lord
When you trust — really trust —
- that He might deliver you from this painful event,
- or that if He does not, He will bring you even more joy in Him through it,
- and that He will take care of every need it creates
— your burden will be gone. Because you’ve cast your burden on the Lord.
That does not mean it will never come back. But when it does, it’s because you’ve stopped trusting His promises.
So go back through the steps, and fight the fight of faith until you are once again trusting His promises.
Why keep your burdens?
Understand that whenever you are burdened, God wants to take the burden from you.
So don’t keep your burdens.
Cast your burdens on the Lord.
Thoughts? Comments?
I’d love to hear them. Leave a reply below — thanks.
If you know someone this would help, email it to them using the “share” button below. Or use the other buttons to share it on your favorite social media.
If you would like to interact with others who are seeking to live by faith in Christ, visit our Forums page.
If you would like to receive a Saturday email summarizing the week’s posts — subscribe here. (I will only use your email address for Living By Faith Blog communications, and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)
And here are some related posts you might find helpful –
- How Jesus Frees Us From Fear (4-min video)
- Bible Passages On Fear
- 4:00 AM Worries
- What Is The Peace Of Christ?
(Picture is from Microsoft Publisher Clipart.)
Hey Brother Steve, Thank you soooo very much for your practicality!!! You actually give step by step instructions of how to cast my care!!! Thank you! God bless you……
You are so welcome, Beverly.
i was really depressed before reading this article… now I’m confident that GOD never leaves us in all our problems.. I knew, becauuse from heavy heart, now I am relaxed… I know GOD already helped me relax from these problems…Thank you GOD I love you so much.
Hi Lito,
I am so glad that you found this article helpful. Thanks for letting me know.
In Christ,
Steve Fuller
Thank you brother this is such a blessing as I am going through a relationship crisis thank you and God bless your good works
Hi Steve-
Im new here, and have read a handful of posts recently, and find all of them informative at the least, and pretty helpful and encouraging. So thanks.
Im picking this post to ask a couple questions on, though it might not totally be for this tooic- my struggle involves *continuing* to trust God, and what to do next.
So, as bad health and heartbreak (and repeat, and repeat…) has befallen me over the last year, I think Ive turned to God as much as I can. Ive asked God for specific healing (shoulder, foot, skin). Had counseling sessions with pastors. Read the Word more. Prayed more. Prayed less. Ive confessed everything I can think of: a dash of sexual immorality, pride, unforgiveness, and anger. So how else can I cast it on God? And if I have, shoot, why hasn’t He restored anything? Or, how can I possibly still feel burdened? Take it God, I don’t want it! I was a little selfish, and yep, I had some pride. Upon understanding my inner shortcomings, I became instantly remorseful.
So… what now? Why isnt the burden gone, or leaving even? And how long do we trust God, that He really is working for our good in the background of our plights, even though our reality suggests otherwise? He could come around at the 11th hour, a week before we die of old age, and take our burdens and fill our heart with joy- “Ha, see? I told you I wouldn’t leave you. Told you I’d take care of you if you cast it all on me.” Great, so I got a week of crossword puzzles and naps at age 90, but hey, God fulfilled His promise. He came back and restored us. Hmm….. I dont like my skepticism, or silence from the Lord, especially when I don’t know what else to do.
That got long, but it feels good to ask. Again, I appreciate your time and encouragement. AND, what youre doing to spread the Word and help people. Thanks.
Brandon
Hi Brandon,
Thank you for taking the time to share your story, and to raise such an important question.
See if this helps with your question.
Casting your burden upon the Lord does not mean giving him your health issue so He will heal it.
It means trusting that He is all you need to be fully satisfied, and that He will do with your health whatever will bring you the most satisfaction, not necessarily in health, but in Him.
So if I can gently ask — are you pursuing Jesus Christ as your all-satisfying Treasure? And are you trusting that He will do with your health whatever will bring you more of Him?
Casting our burdens upon the Lord means battling to see that the Lord Himself is our Treasure — and that He will take care of everything else we need to experience Him as our Treasure.
I hope this helps, and I will pray for you right now.
In Christ,
Steve Fuller
Hi steve, didn’t get your reply on my previous poSt, but will like to thAnk u for all your works And thank God for your blog. Have been fighting this fear of bein lost inside and bein confuSed,I worry A lot about my taughtS and pray a lot that God should take away my painS, it started when I was ill, fearing that I might die that took a pinch on me the fear greW that itS almost swallowed me, am prAying for Gods help and love and I will like you to pray for me, Am in college and this tAking a hit on me distrActing me from School activities ,thanks as you reAd me poSt and God bless you
Hi Franklin,
Sorry about the delay in responding to your previous comment.
Maybe it would also help to read the blog articles here under just to the right under the section called “Check Here For More Help” — read some of the articles under “Fearful or Worried?”
I think you might find them helpful.
And I will pray for you right now.
In Christ,
Steve Fuller
Hi Steve-
Thanks for your response. Its well-put and does make sense to me. Is the Lord my all-satisfying treasure? Am I trying to make THAT happen? That’s a good question, I think I see your point, and maybe that will give me a little direction.
I also watched the video about letting go of something (a $20 bill) so as to pick up something that’s actually going to quench us (a pitcher of water), and that makes sense too… in particular, Ive always thoroughly enjoyed activity, especially playin baksketball, and its a tough pill to swallow thinking of basketball as that $20 bill. I value your insight and help, it’s something Ill be thinking about and trying to apply.
Thanks again! I admire and appreciate your efforts to help others in their walk. God bless.
Brandon
You are so welcome, Brandon. And thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Hello Steve, I am a unsaved young mother of two kids I been having such a hard time casting my burdens to God I read this article and I understand what you are saying I feel a little better but I must continue to give God all of my struggles not just half. God Bless
Hi Nakia,
Thank you for sharing your story. I am glad this post was helpful to you.
Would you mind sharing with us what you mean when you say you are unsaved?
You can be saved by turning from everything else and trusting Jesus Christ — trusting all that God promises to be to you in Him.
He will forgive you, change you, guide you, strengthen you, and satisfy you in Himself.
Are you trusting Christ? And if not, I want to do whatever I can to urge you to trust Him.
In Christ,
Steve Fuller
Steve:
So tonight, in the middle of the night, I woke up feeling the burden of some uncertain changes that are going on at work. I knew if I searched your blog I would find just the right words of encouragement and an action plan to tackle my burden. I came across this entry and am so encouraged. The changes at work are out of my control but now I have a plan to face them head on. My action plan is to memorize the verses and steps that you shared in this blog. I can’t tell you how much this has already helped me. I am ready to get back to sleep knowing that as I memorize the scriptures you shared I will be able to face the ongoing burdens at work. Thank you for your faithful work on this blog. By the way, I was praying for your time at the retreat you were teaching at. Thanks again Steve!
Ron Robles
Hi Ron,
What an encouraging post to read, Ron! I praise God for his work in your life, and for using this post to encourage you.
And thank you so much for praying for the retreat. God worked in all of our hearts in powerful ways, and I am sure your prayers had lots to do with that.
In Christ,
Steve
I’ve been under such a strain of burden over very huge and frightening circumstances since I was saved nearly 4 years ago. I pray and pray to release them and try and try to trust. It is having the trouble with trusting that is causing the issues. I keep asking God to help me to trust Him and it seems the more I ask, the worse things get. So then what?
Thanks for your words of encouragement… May God continue to strenghten you
I recently came across your blog when I searched “God’s Promises.” I’m going through a horrible marriage crisis, with really no “good” outcome likely. Even if it is restored, the circumstances around it will leave the rest of our lives changed in a way I don’t know how to handle. I’ve been trying to focus on God’s promises this week and have found many great and encouraging posts on your blog. This one, in particular, is amazing. I often do try to cast my cares on the Lord and this helps me understand how that looks and why the burden is lifted when we do this. I also love that you encourage us to pray that He keep the painful event from happening. I know that this doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but its okay to ask and want that! Thank you!
So encouraging to hear how God is working in your heart — thanks for letting me know.
Really very encouraging blog. I m very happy to read it. It works as an ointment especially in painful circumstances to remove those. Maby many thanx…….
Regards………neeru
Thanks for taking the time to let me know, Neeru. I deeply appreciate it.
In Christ, Steve Fuller
God Bless you Steve.
Steve, I struggle with OCD and intrusive thoughts. going on 25 years now, prayers, wishes, medications…not for that specifically because I’m afraid to talk about it with anyone. so just anti anxiety medication, and an antidepressant. it plagues me so much, I don’t have one person to talk to and its scary being alone with this. I am going to do my best to cast it on the Lord. maybe someday soon He will finally lift this burden. its crippling and effects my life so much. I feel helpless and alone, scared and as if relief doesn’t exist. but I seek relief and deliverance through Him. ill try these steps. thank you so much for sharing, God bless you, Steve.
Does cast mean to throw ?
I have been praying and fasting over something, for deeper faith, for guidance, answers and solution after deciding to give up worldly way of living follow Jesus. I met someone who I believe that is God sent instrument for me to change, in exchange I helped him all my might, its all worth the struggles. But lately I have been wondering what happens to my prayers and fasting, they become my an unanswered prayers. Seems God has been ignoring me and to top it all, its not just me who suffered but my loved ones who are innocent. I’m losing my faith, please help.
I have been feeling the same way recently. I have prayed so hard and trusted more than I ever have, I was just so sure that God would turn my situation around. It too effects my family even those not directly connected to the problem. The only way I can understand is to believe that though the sole burden appears to be mine, it is also a trial for others for different reasons. I have been a situation that i prayed to be removed from and I had prayed so much that I started to lose faith and then I realized that if I had never experienced what I had, I would never have been able to plant a seed in a non- believer. She needed someone to relate to her and because of my troubles I was able to do that and be something that she needed. Then I realized that our trials are not always just for us but for the bigger picture/larger plan.
Vira, I’ve had many times I felt I was losing my faith, but after the trial (that did not turn out the way I thought it would/should), my faith actually came back stronger. I can honestly say that I have no idea how it has gotten stronger after these trials, because in the natural, it SHOULD have weakened.
If you check my January 19, 2014 response above (https://livingbyfaithblog.com/2013/04/19/how-to-cast-your-burdens-on-the-lord/#comment-16389), you will see that I was going through some things, and had been for quite some time. Over the past year however, I feel I have moved to a new level of understanding in my faith, and according to James 1, that will just keep increasing until maturity. I study the Word when I have something I cannot explain and I keep reading and studying on that topic until I receive a revelation and the issue is settled in my mind.
James 1
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
God is more interested in changing us inside than in meeting all of our prayer requests.
We may not understand why, or we may understand years down the line, but that’s faith…believing in the unseen despite what we see in the natural.
Hi. I googled what it meant to cast all of our cares on the Lord Jesus and I found your remarks and steps. I just finished reading so I haven’t put them to practice yet, but I’m concerned about something. I’m a believer in Hesus and want to please Him and serve Him for all my days. I’m a wife and mother of 3. In my past I have done things that have opened doors for the enemy to wound and continue to wound and inflict fear in my life. I suffer often with nightmares that are evil, immoral, etc. I spend time reading God’s word renewing my mind as an effort to stop the dreams and torment. This may sound silly, but is it wrong to cast this kind of anxiety on Jesus?
Thank you for this.. After reading I realize that God is everywhere and ready to listen upon all my burdens in my heart.. I wasnt able to talk to him or sometimes pray to him because I been So ashamed of myself ive been a sinful one and that makes me feel that I cant even ask directly on him but beacuse of your blog this gives back my faith and trust on him. You were right and God has really put me in this kind of situation where to test me. I should put all my trust on him and keep on praying. I should always be grateful that God provides in everyway. Whatever may happen to me on the future I should be open for it and keep in my mind that God made this to happen, for me to become a stronger one!
Help, how can I grow faith when i’m drowning with life’s trials and darkness, light is nowhere to find.
Vira
You will grow in faith by continuing to read God’s Word and by daily praying. It’s through all these trials that you come to realize that old adage that whatever doesn’t kill you can only make you stronger.
Just keep holding to the measure of faith you’ve been given and as you continue you will be conformed to the image of Christ, who had more faith than we could even hope to attain.
Thank you for your wise words. I have read this numerous times this week. I know the Lord can carry my fear and burden. This is a great reminder. God Bless You.
Thank you Char for the inspiring words of your experiences and advice. I know with a weak person like me, it will take time, but no matter how strong the temptation of giving up on my faith will become. I’m gonna try to hold on to Him. To be honest I am having a hard putting things in the right places after I thought I have prayed enough and trust him enough but I still get a bad/opposite answers. Praying for help but I got a heavier burden instead. Then I realized I guess its all on me, my FAITH in HIM is not enough.
I’ll keep on fighting over these for our God’s glory.
Vira, we are ALL weak. But we grow in strength. I’ve done those same prayed enough/trusted enough routines. And yup, things got harder. But those things that knocked me down last year don’t now. Every trial has shown me that it won’t kill me…or that I’m just getting too tired to care or cry anymore, so I’m learning those things I thought would devestate me weren’t important enough to cause me to react anymore. The trials help to work things out of…and into…us. And they show us when we’re not as strong as we were starting to think we were.
Casting our burdens upon the Lord means to start telling the truth. We live a life of lying cheating and stealing, and then cover it up with more lies until we don’t know who we are anymore. The guilt in our soul creates anxiety and depression, along with all the false guilt projected upon us by others that we don’t recognize or speak up about, yet another lie, passively. Until we start telling the truth about our past and present, truth being the life and the way, we will always be anxious about our future. The sad state of Christianity today is that we are so caught up in the person of Jesus and pushing Him on others, that we don’t even do what He says. If we believe in Jesus Christ we believe in telling the truth. It is truth that protects us from the evil one. And anyone in any religion can do it. When Jesus said that no one comes to the Father but by Him, He meant no one gets to heaven on Earth, or after we die, without starting to tell the truth. Once anyone anywhere on the Earth starts being honest they are immediately of the Lord, whether they consciously believe in Him or not. So cast your burden upon the Lord today. Start telling the truth. This is the way.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Timothy.
And you are right that telling the truth is crucial.
But I do not agree that “once anyone on Earth starts being honest they are immediately of the Lord, whether they consciously believe in Him or not.”
Now maybe what you mean by “being honest” is being honest about their sin and about their need for Jesus and turning to him in faith.
If that’s what you mean, then I agree.
But I would want to stress that the first step is turning to Christ as we are, confessing our sinful unbelief, and trusting him to forgive us, change us, and satisfy us completely in Himself.
That’s when we are assured that we are of the Lord. And that’s when the burdens will start to lift.
In Christ,
Steve Fuller
Thanks for your most rewarding article on burden castning. Please how do one trust God over dwindling finances, mounting responsibilities, bills and debt?
Hi Steve
I trust in the Lord. I know that He will always do good for me and I know that He will help me when I need Him. I know that I am struggling so that I may be closer to God and that He wants me to be closer to him. I trust in Him.
I’m going through the hardest struggle in my life right now. I’m trying to let Jesus shoulder my burdens but I still have constant worries picking at me. How do I truly give my burdens up to the Lord? I’m trying to but my anxieties are still with me and my heart is heavy. How do I find joy in God?
With a heavy heart,
Sachrist
While I commend you on your encouragement to leave our burdens with the Lord, allow me please to take issue with you about the sentence you use: “Third, trust that if He allows this painful event to happen, it’s to bring you more joy in Him.”
That cannot be true. Not relieving us of pain cannot be to bring us more joy in him. We may well come to know Jesus in a deeper way through the experiences through which we pass but that is not the aim of not relieving our pain! Perhaps your sentence conveys something you did not intend but as it stands there is a kind of fatalism suggested about life. You put God in a win/win situation by aligning him with the non relief of the pain.A God who uses pain for his own ends is not a loving God. He suffers with us. He does not use it to make us grateful for eventual joy.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Malcolm.
I agree that God suffers with us in our pain (Lam 3:32-33).
But I think the Bible also teaches that God ordains our pain.
Sometimes he does this as a way to give us more joy in seeing his glory displayed as he delivers us from pain (John 9:1ff).
But at other times he does not deliver us from the pain. But even then it’s all about his love, as trials can give us the joy of even deeper and closer fellowship with him.
I see that taught in Psalm 119:71,75; 2 Cor 4:16-18; and 2 Cor 12:9-10.
But we should not be fatalistic. We should pray for deliverance, because sometimes that is God’s will.
But sometimes it’s not — because God is going to give us even more joy in him through the trial.
I hope that helps explain what I believe.
In Christ,
Steve Fuller
I was reminded recently not to take back what we’ve given to the Lord. That’s what I do when it seems like God isn’t doing anything…at least in my human eyes. But His promises are true and the devil is a liar. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Thanks for the reminders about how to make sure those burdens stay right where they belong….in God’s hands!
What do you do when you question your salvation and then trying to figure out what faith is how to have it and trusting. I’ve been having this for a year now i was on fire for God and one day it all hit me where i become obsessed with knowing if Jesus came in my life and constantly in anxiety over it.
So thankful i came across this article……I have a LOT of burdens (childhood abuse and trauma, miscarriages, losing ppl I loved, medical problems, etc) and Ive been hearing for years to cast my burdens on the Lord. Everybody tells me that-“Just cast your burdens on Him, that’s all you gotta do!” (like it’s that simple) but they never tell me why and whenever i ask they never explain it in a way I could understand. Now it finally makes sense. Thank you and God bless you for writing this article.
I am so glad you found this encouraging.
Thank you for letting me know.
In Christ,
Steve Fuller
Yes thanks now I know how to cast my burdens on the Lord. pray for me please.
Perfectly said…Holy Spirit…broke this down…
Hey, Thank you so much for writing this blog! I recently went through a hard breakup with someone, and still working through it. I have come back to the verse about casting your burdens on the lord time and time again and have been frustrated that I still feel the pain.
I accept I may never know why what happened happened, but this post will help me with allowing God to heal my wounds, and I will work through the steps of actually casting my burdens on him. God Bless.
I heard a message by Andrew Wommack and he said, not casting your cares on God might mean pride on his Humility the path to More Grace teaching…but I have a question, there are some cares in one’s life that we don’t (at least this is what I think) really have to cast upon God, and casting our cares upon God, does it mean not working and making plans?
No. Casting your cares upon God does not mean you can stop working and don’t need to make plans.
It simply means taking the steps I outlined above, and then working and making plans with trust in Jesus and his promises.
In Christ,
Steve Fuller
Thank you
Thanks a lot sir. Your message was of great help to me, I’m really faced with so much burden. Please pray for me.
I want to tell you Steve, that this article spoke to me and gave me not only instruction, but hope. I have always wondered how to “cast my cares on Jesus” and have always (for the 25 years I’ve been saved) to just do it, as best I could, using faith I guess, knowing that I probably wasn’t doing it right or the as fully as I should/could. Now I have a better idea of how to do it!
I am glad I found this because I’m going through a trial right now, that may not seem like big deal to anyone that doesn’t deal with the same issue but it really is: I deal with misophonia, which is an extreme reaction to certain sounds, that stresses out the sufferer and can (and often does) cause a violent reaction and make the person want to get away from the noise as quickly as possible. MY problem is that thudding noises and other noises you hear in apartment living are my trigger noises. Two young people just moved in next door to me not a couple of weeks ago and they are night owls. The person that stays up all night is quiet but not enough for me to a get a deep sleep. Plus during normal waking hours they can be a bit loud. As a result I associate my apartment with loud, nerve-edging noise and it’s not the haven it used to be, so I try to stay away from it as much as I can and not think about the noise, or else I get very stressed, and have lost my appetite and have found it challenging to sleep. There’s more to the whole thing but I don’t want to bore you with details. Suffice it to say, my sound sensitivity mixed with my neighbors stresses me badly, but, it has forced me to turn to the Lord for comfort, relief, and casting the burden on him. I honestly believe without this I’d literally end up in the pysch ward before very long. Taking it day by day, focusing on acceptance of it and looking for the lesson God is trying to teach me and work in me, and trying to live my life as much as I did before they moved in, is the only way I can feel hope and make it through each day. Until such a time as I can escape it and move into a quiet place again.
THANK YOU GREATLY Steve, again! May God bless you richly for your ministry of these blogs and how he has used them to speak to others.