21 Days of Prayer: Day 19 - Ryan Shook
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“Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.”
Psalm 55:22 (NIV)
Most Biblical scholars believe that the prayer of David in Psalm 55 was written during Absalom’s rebellion. Absalom was David’s son. Despite being a man after God’s own heart, David was also a man with clay feet. His sin with Bathsheba and the consequent murder of her husband, Uriah, in a failed attempt to cover up David’s sin, resulted in severe consequences within his own family, forgiveness notwithstanding. Sin always has painful residual consequences. We may be free to sin, but we are not free to choose the consequences of that sin. Absalom harbored a deep root of bitterness against his father’s failures. In addition, one of David’s own counselors and friends had betrayed him when he sided with Absalom’s attempt to steal the throne from his father. In verses 20 through 21, David writes, “My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.” If you’ve ever been betrayed and stabbed in the back by those you thought were friends and confidants, you know how David felt. No wonder David opens this Psalm by praying, “Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught because of what my enemy is saying, because of the threats of the wicked; for they bring down suffering on me and assail me in their anger.” Psalm 55:1-3 (NIV) In verses 17 and 18, he revs up his prayer, “Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.”
What led to David’s eventual rescue and deliverance from those who sought his position and his life? How did David handle the extreme anguish of his soul that led him to flee Jerusalem, the capital city, and hide in the hills? I believe it was the simple promise he claimed in prayer that is available to you and me today. It’s found in our key passage: “Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.” Psalm 55:22 (NIV)
Your cares will take you down if you don’t take them up to God in prayer. Holocaust survivor Corrie Ten Boom once said, “If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God, you'll be at rest.” David looked up to God in prayer and cast his cares on the Lord. He experienced the two benefits from doing that found in this passage:
“He will sustain you….
He will never let the righteous be shaken.”
What are you doing with your cares? In the New Testament, 1 Peter 5:7 says this in the Amplified version, “Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”
Isn’t that an amazing promise? But let me close with two words of warning.
First, Peter uses a fishing illustration which makes sense because he was a fisherman. When you cast a rod and reel, you must let go of the button on the reel for the line to cast. When you take your cares to God, you must let them go. Give them to Him. Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there.
Second, be careful that you don’t reel them back in. I’ve noticed in my own life that I can cast a care on the Lord in prayer, but then moments later, and sometimes before I even recognize it, I’m reeling that concern back in to worry about it again. Anxiety creeps back into my soul. So what do I do? Cast it back out there to the Lord. You may have to cast your cares many times before you finally let them go and are free of care. That’s OK. It’s part of growing in faith.
Today’s prayer challenge is to ask yourself what you need to cast upon the Lord. What do you need to quit worrying about? What do you need to let go? Start casting!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.