What is worry?

It is a constant negative view of the future. It is playing out your worst fears over and over in your head.

The progression:

FEAR → WORRY → ANXIETY → PANIC

What does the WORD say?

Psalm 37:5–6 NLT:5 Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. 6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

Psalm 55:22 NLT: Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Psalm 56:3–4 NLT: But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 4 I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?

Matthew 6:25 NLT: That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?

Philippians 4:6–7 NLT: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 13:6 NLT: So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

How do you defeat worry?

1. Focus on the SPIRIT not the FLESH

• Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane — The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
• The flesh does not produce PEACE; only the Spirit does.
• The Word comes first, and then the Spirit. You must be building yourself up in the Word; then comes the Spirit.

2. Focus on CASTING, not CARRYING.

• We are all familiar with this thought that comes from 1 Peter 5:7 (ESV): “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
• How do you know if you’ve cast your cares? If you don’t have peace, you haven’t cast.
• How do we cast our cares?
  • Through choice
  • Through prayer
  • Through encouragement

2. Focus on the FEAST, not the FOES.

• Psalm 23:5 NLT: You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.
• We are SEATED in HEAVENLY PLACES and have tremendous ACCESS.
• Whatever you are focused on will influence your:
  • Speech
  • Thoughts
  • Decisions
  • Outlook
• Our enemies are present, but so is our feast.
• Kenneth Hagin had a vision of a feast set before him.
  • When he looked, he didn’t see a dish of depression, fear, worry, sickness, and death. He saw a dish of gladness, faith, hope, wellness, and life.
  • Behind the table were his enemies of depression, etc.
  • Don’t focus on the foes—focus on the feast.

Discussion Questions:

• What can you do this week to keep your focus on the Spirit?
• Think of all the things you are trying to cast down. Have you truly cast them away?
• What promise from the Word of God are you holding on to during this time?