It’s been over a decade, but I remember the pastor’s fervent words like it was yesterday.

When Pastor Robert preached to hundreds of impassioned young adults about the power of God’s Word, his message moved through the crowd and landed directly on my heart. He said, “My grandmother always told me that you can’t control what flies overhead. But you can control what makes its nest in your mind. And if the wrong thoughts get built up in your mind, you have just one solution. Power wash the nest away. Wash it out with the Word of God.”

As he shared, I realized I’d let some “nests” of anxiety grow in my thinking. And those needed to be dismantled as I renewed my mind in God’s Word.

Challenging life circumstances can cause us to build the wrong “nests” in our thinking – those constructed on worry, pride, doubt, or despair. We are anxious for the next health report. We dread difficult work challenges. We feel bitterness over strained relationships. We battle fear of the unknowns ahead. We struggle to hold on to hope when it seems God is silent in our trial. When we feel overwhelmed by cares, God’s Word invites us to take everything to him in prayer.

Casting Your Cares on Jesus

What kind of “nest” are you building today in your mind? Is your thinking rooted in the truths of Scripture or in worry over needs you face today?

If the wrong “nest” has been built in your thought life, you can begin to change your thinking. You can replace unhealthy thinking with God’s Word, by meditating on the truths of Scripture that renews the mind and by bringing your petitions to Jesus. As the Scriptures say, “Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 GNT).

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus met the needs of others through tenderness and compassion by inviting honest dialogue. His encounter with blind Bartimaeus illustrates this: “’What do you want me to do for you?’ Jesus asked him. ‘Teacher,’ the blind man answered, ‘I want to see again’” (Mark 10:51 GNT).

We, too, are invited to approach God openly and honestly. To help you bring your specific needs to Jesus, we invite you to journey through our new “Cast Your Cares” prayer guide. Let the prompts and Scriptures inspire your honest dialogue with the Lord. We pray these Scriptures inspire faith and hope within you, as you bring your cares to Jesus.