Peace is not accidental — it is the result of a believer who has learned how to pray at all times with all manner of prayer in the Spirit like Ephesians 6:18 states. One of the kinds of prayer we must pray is the Prayer of Commitment where we cast every care, worry, and piece of anxiety upon the Lord. The Word of God shows that God designed a “no-slip” path for His children to walk on. A path that is secure in Him even when life feels anything but. In this Light on Life teaching, we explore the powerful connection between prayer and peace, why worry cannot travel the narrow road of faith, and how every believer functions as a living house of prayer under the New Covenant. When anxiety speaks, prayer answers — and the peace of God stands guard over your heart and mind. How to Commit to the Link Between Prayer and Peace — that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

This Week: Discover why prayer is your immediate answer to anxiety — and how committing every care to God positions you to live guarded by His peace.

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Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.
This weeks call is:

Cast. Trust. Walk Free.

This week: Refuse to carry what God has commanded you to cast.

Remember this: The path of God is too narrow for anxiety — cast it off and walk guarded by His peace.

Join the Conversation

Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believers life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:

Question: What situation in your life most tempts you to carry anxiety instead of casting it on God?

Share: Take a moment today to surrender that concern to the Lord in prayer and declare your trust in Him.

Remember: You were never designed to carry tomorrow — God’s peace stands ready to guard you as you trust Him today.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 49 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 44 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Podcast Notes:

• Well again, welcome.
• Let’s pray.

Father God thank you for the highway that you have placed for our feet. It’s a supernatural way of peace — it is your way. Thank you for helping us to realize that it’s a walk of faith that we walk out in unison with you. I thank you that you are a God that cares for us deeply and loves us to the very end. Help us to know the breadth, the length, the height, and the depth of this love in Jesus Name, Amen.

Prayer and Peace: Review from a Previous Podcast

• We are in the book of Ephesians.
• Allow the Word of God to feed your spirit as we read.
• Listen to it like you never heard it before.

Ephesians 6:14–18 (ESV) — 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

• In a previous podcast, we talked about Psalm eighteen and how the Lord will make His way, your way and keep your steps secure.
• This is the ‘no-slip’ life that’s available to every child of God.
• As a Jesus follower, you can have an expectation to live this kind of life.

Psalm 18:33 (ESV) — 33 He [the God who made MY WAY perfect,] made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.

• The words ‘set secure’ in Psalm 18:33 is one word in the Hebrew and it means to stand, to remain standing, to bring to a halt, and sit in position.
• It means the ability to maintain footing on difficult terrain.
• It means making your footing sticky so you don’t slip.
• The word is causative meaning God does it if you believe Him to do it!
• We must exercise our faith in God’s power to give your feet this ‘sticky-feet’ ability because it is not something you are born with.
• No, God adds it to your life when you believe Him to keep you from falling.
• We made the determination that we will not lose ground anymore.
• By trusting the Lord to make our feet sticky, we can live a life of continual ascent in the things of God.
• Starting, stopping, sliding, and slipping are now of the past.
• That’s behind us.
• We are in full trust mode and we are ascending.
• Now, God knows this path because it’s His path — it’s His way.
• And, He knows the path that I take because it’s His path.
• So my way is certain and sure.
• It is a road of light because His word is an LED lamp to our feet and a light to our path.

Prayer and Peace: All Prayer at All Times

• So, what is walking on God’s path like?
• There are some things that work really well on the path and there are other things that don’t work so well.
• Let’s get specific and talk about something that doesn’t work WELL and that’s worry and anxiety.
• Let’s home in on a verse that we read from this passage here in Ephesians.
• It’s the eighteenth verse.

Ephesians 6:18 (ESV) — praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

• Now, with that thought, here is the Question of the Day.
• Here’s the question:

What does ‘at all times with all prayer’ mean?

• Well, wouldn’t it suggest that ‘all times’ means ‘all the time?’
• That it doesn’t just mean your place of prayer?
• Maybe your place of prayer is some quiet place in your home, some room in your house, or some area where you pray.
• Where you talk to God and God talks to you.
• God talks to you — did you get that?
• That’s what prayer is — it’s a conversation.
• Mark it down, if you’re doing all the talking in prayer, that means you’re not listening to God.
• If you’re not listening, how do you get expect to get the answer?
• I say expect because we should have the expectation of a living breathing fellowship with God.
• I talk to Him — He talks to me.
• He communicates all the time.
• So, let me ask you.
• Are you only praying at your designated place of prayer like your home or your church?
• What about when you’re not in either of those places?
• This is one area where we need to adjust our mindset concerning prayer.

Prayer and Peace: In the Spirit

• In Galatians five, we have this about Spirit life:

Galatians 5:16 (ESV) — 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

• Then two verses later, we have.

Galatians 5:18 (ESV) — 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

• Then drop down a few more verses and we have

Galatians 5:25 (ESV) — 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

• So, we are to walk by, be led by, and live by the Spirit.
• Does all of this ‘walking, leading, and living,’ happen just in your place of prayer at home or in church?
• Wouldn’t ‘live by the Spirit’ occur where you live?
• Shouldn’t it happen where you are alive, that is, where you are living life?
• What about being led by the Spirit?
• Is that only at your designated place of prayer at home or in church?
• Can’t you be ‘lead by the Spirit’ in other places besides the formal place where you pray?
• Of course you can.
• You see, we must allow our thinking about what prayer is to be expanded.

Prayer and Peace: The House of Prayer

• The following passages should help us.

Isaiah 56:7 (ESV) — 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

• Did you hear that phrase, ‘house of prayer.’
• Look at what Jesus said about this same house.

Mark 11:17 (ESV) — 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”

• Isaiah said for ‘all peoples’ — Jesus said for ‘all nations’ — same thing.
• Now understand that Jesus operated under the umbrella of the Old Covenant, or the Old Testament.
• The New Testament hadn’t even been written yet.

Prayer and Peace: A Better Covenant

• So, we have this Old Covenant of the house prayer — now what?
• Well, Jesus death, burial, and resurrection totally changed the concept for the better.
• You can say ‘way, way better.’
• Over the top better.

Hebrews 8:6 (ESV) — 6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

• So, Jesus obtained for us a better covenant established on better promises.
• Now, in what way is the New Testament better than the Old?
• Well, in the Old Covenant, there was a house of prayer — first, it was the Tabernacle in the wilderness then the Tabernacle evolved into Solomon’s Temple.
• That was the house of prayer — where Israelites went to pray and inquire of God.
• But, Solomon’s Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC because of Israel’s continued sin.
• They wouldn’t give it up.
• That Temple was rebuilt via the leadership of two men: Zerubbabel and Joshua about 70 years later.
• Herod and his bunch later undertook extensive renovations and further upgraded the Temple.
• But, the death and resurrection of Jesus, changed everything.
• In the Old Covenant, the physical structure of the Temple was the ‘house of prayer.’
• In the New Covenant…

1 Corinthians 6:19 (ESV) — 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

• In the New Covenant, individual believers are the ‘house of prayer.’
• So, you’re body is a ‘house of prayer.’
• Your body is the place where prayer happens.
• God is no longer in the Temple or the church house.
• He is in you.

1 John 4:4 (ESV) — 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Prayer and Peace: A Roving House of Prayer

• He is in you, and you, and you and let’s going until we get through every Jesus follower.
• So, here you are — a house of prayer on two legs.
• A roving ‘house of prayer if you would.’
• Since your body is the place where prayer takes place, and since that body can be in the grocery store or at work or any number of places besides the room that you pray in at home, we must change our thinking about how we engage praying.
• It’s at all times.
• Now since you’re understanding is being opened here, listen to this most marvelous definition of prayer.
• When I heard it — it was like Ah! — That’s right!
• And with that thought here is the Quote of the Day.

Prayer is not being rude. It’s not ignoring God.¹

• Prayer is not being rude.
• Think about it.
• God is in you everyday, and everywhere you go.
• Wouldn’t it be right to talk to the person that’s right there with you — the one who has the answer?
• Isn’t it rude to ignore somebody?
• You invite a soul into your house and then you don’t talk to them.
• That’s rude.
• Well, your body is where God resides by His Spirit.
• It’s rude to ignore Him.
• It’s rude to not acknowledge Him.

Prayer and Peace: Casting Your Care

• Now, that brings us to where we need to be today, the connection between prayer and peace.
• We have from God’s Word that we are to pray with all prayer at all times in our house of prayer — our bodies.
• Now, we come up upon a situation or we have at thought that messes with our peace.
• We are tempted to worry or be anxious.
• What do us prayers do?
• Well, you pray.
• But, what do you pray?
• I’m glad you asked.

1 Peter 5:6–9 (ESV) — 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

• How are we supposed to pray about something that’s causing us anxiety?
• What manner of prayer do we pray?
• God’s Word calls it here casting all your anxieties on Him.
• Now, did the Lord really mean all — does all mean every time your anxious — every time you’re worried?
• Well, of course it does.
• When do you do this?
• Wherever you are where the anxiety took place.
• Why wait until you get home and go to your room to pray?
• If you’re anxious now, pray now.
• God is in you — greater is the God that is in you than the anxiety that you face.
• So, this phrase ‘casting all your anxieties on Him’ is a conversation that you have with God right where you are.
• It’s a prayer that we should be praying way more than we’re praying.
• What if somebody says something you don’t like?
• What do you do? — Well, you cast your care.
• What if the Lord leads you to pray about something other than what you are concerned about?
• Can you trust Him to take care of your concerns while you are over here praying about the thing He wants you to pray about?
• Cast your care.

“Lord, this other person needs prayer. But I can’t get to that because you have me praying over here. Lord, I cast the care of this other situation on you. I trust you to take care of it, while I am over here.”

• That’s sticky feet.
• You see, the perfect way of God is a worry-free, anxiety-free superhighway.
• I ran across this quote that may speak to you.

Worry is experiencing unnecessary distress in the face of imaginary suffering.²

Prayer and Peace: Definitions

• And with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
• The Greek word ‘worry’ is often translated in your Bible as care or anxiety.
• Be careful for nothing is how the KJV has it.
• Be anxious for nothing is how the ESV reads.
• Same thing.
• The Greek word for ‘careful’ or ‘anxious’ means to brood or to think moodily or anxiously about something.
• One lexicon has it as to be apprehensive, have anxiety, be anxious, be (unduly) concerned³
• Still another dictionary has it as to have an anxious concern, based on apprehension about possible danger or misfortune—‘to be worried about, to be anxious about.’⁴
• We might as well go for three dictionaries and sweep the whole thing clean.
• LSJ, the world’s most comprehensive and authoritative dictionary of ancient Greek, shows the definition as care for, be anxious about, or to meditate upon.⁵
• Worry is fear generated by meditating on the possibility of danger or something going wrong.
• If you sense this kind of fear or anxiety, you should immediately pray and give the situation, that person, that group of people, that report that is triggering that fear and anxiety and cast that over on God.
• You were not built to be anxious.
• You were not designed to house anxiety in the same house that God lives in.
• We walk in worry and fear only because we are being rude and ignoring the Greater One in us.
• We overestimate danger — we run through scenarios that never occur.
• We mentally jack-up the degree of our problems.
• Basically, we distort how we think things will turn out all the while ignoring God who is right there.
• Instead of giving way to distortion how about acknowledging God in you?
• Can I tell you, even the smallest thing that causes you angst, should trigger prayer.
• Practice on the small stuff.
• What this means is that we have not been praying this prayer near enough.
• Remember, it’s all prayer at ‘all times.’

Prayer and Peace: A Scripture Walk

• Here are some other Bible verses along this line.

Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV) — 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

• Do you understand, ‘in everything?’
• In everything means whatever triggers the fear, the worry, the concern.
• The perfect way of God is a care free way.
• Jesus told us to live this way.

Matthew 6:25 (ESV) — 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

• Are there other aspects of life beyond food, shelter, and clothing?
• Of course they are.
• Practice on those.

Matthew 6:25–34 (ESV) — 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

• Here are a couple of more verses.

Psalm 94:19 (ESV) — 19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

• And, one more.

Proverbs 12:25 (ESV) — 25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

Peace and Prayer: The Narrow Path to Victory

• And, with that thought, here is the Historical Background of the Day.
• Now, this is truth in reporting here.
• In 218 BC, the legendary commander Hannibal, who was a Carthaginian general, set out on one of the most daring military campaigns in history.
• His objective was bold — to lead his army across the towering Alps — by towering we mean 8,000 feet — and strike Rome from the north, a direction the Romans never expected.
• Quite an undertaking.
• But as the army climbed higher into the mountains, the pathway — the pathway the army walked on narrowed.
• It got so narrow that the path became nothing more than a thin shelf carved into the rock.
• One misstep meant a deadly fall.
• Very quickly, as the soldiers marched, they discovered this intense reality.
• Men overloaded with gear could not pass through the narrow places.
• Supply wagons had to be abandoned.
• Heavy equipment had to be thrown off the cliff.
• Personal possessions had to be left behind in the snow.
• Why?
• Because the path to victory demanded the feet of a deer.
• It demanded mobility — and mobility required letting go.
• A soldier who insisted on keeping his stuff risked losing everything.
• So piece by piece, Hannibal’s army discarded what they once felt essential so they could continue moving toward what was necessary.
• And those who laid aside the weight were the ones who made it through the pass.
• The Word of God says that God’s way, the way that we talked about in a previous podcast, His way is perfect.
• And He will make His way your way — perfect and blameless.
• Now this way of God has a marvelous characteristic.

Matthew 7:13–14 (ESV) — 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Prayer and Peace: Worry Cannot Walk The Path of God

• You have to cast worry off the cliff.
• The way is too narrow for you to worry about tomorrow.
• The ledge is too thin for you to carry the worry about whether or not you’re going to have enough.
• Your in the army of God.
• The way is an uphill highway where we cannot have anxiety weighing us down.
• The stuff that your anxious about is God’s domain.
• He has already promised to handle it if you just stop ignoring and talk to Him.
• At some point, every Jesus follower must decide am I going to trust God or carry this myself?
• If we use a baseball analogy, God called you to be a pitcher not a catcher of anxiety.
• He called you to throw it on Him.
• Casting is decisive.
• It means we throw it and we refuse to pick it back up.
• Here’s another story — I don’t know if this one is historical like the last one — about a guy named Joe.
• Let’s see if we can learn something from Joe.
• Joe’s friends all knew him as a worrier.
• One day Bill saw his worrying friend bouncing along as happy as a man could be, whistling and humming and wearing a huge smile; he looked as if he did not have a care in the world.
• Bill could hardly believe his eyes, so he had to find out what had happened. *” Joe, what’s happened to you?” he asked. “You don’t seemed worried any more.”
• “It’s wonderful Bill, I haven’t worried for several weeks now.” * “That’s great; how did you manage it?”
• Joe explained, “I hired a man to do all of my worrying for me.” *” What?” *” Right.” “Well,” Bill mused, “I must say that that is a new wrinkle; tell me, how much does he charge you?”
• “A thousand dollars a week.” *” A thousand dollars a week? How could you possibly raise a thousand dollars a week to pay him?”
• Joe answered, “That’s not my problem that’s his worry.
• That’s the ticket — right there.

Prayer and Peace: Putting the Word Into Action

• So, how do I put this Word of God into action?
• Begin treating every anxious thought as a prayer trigger no matter where you are.
• Cast that care, that anxious thought, the moment it appears — don’t carry what God has told you to throw on Him.
• Write down the verses on you being a ‘house of prayer’ and keep them before you until you gain the discipline of praying throughout your day, not just in a designated time or place of prayer.
• Quit meditating the problem.
• And lastly, remember, you are a first-responder — when anxiety speaks, prayer is your first response.
• If this teaching helped you today, be sure to subscribe and share it with someone who needs the peace that comes from praying the prayer of casting your care over upon the Lord.

Now Father God, we do it right now. We cast the worry that is concerning us right now, over on you. We refuse to take it back. We trust and we know that you are working on these things for us and so we don’t. Have to be anxious anymore.

• You guys have a great God week and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

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