What a privilege to hear devotional thoughts from Vick Weimer this week! Take a moment and check out the contributors page to learn more about her!
Without thought, I threw my prayer journal onto the table like a hot potato. Nine years previous, I had begun a new method of personal Bible study. I paraphrased, in my own words, each verse in the Bible. At the same time, I started writing my prayers. I started this because my mind had been wandering or worrying instead of focusing on hearing from God through His Word and talking to Him in prayer. Curious about what I had written at the beginning of this journey, I picked up my first prayer journal and began reading it. The fear and angst that I read in that journal caused my visceral reaction of casting down onto the table my written prayers.
Instantly, “ Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7 KJV) sprang to mind. Surprised by my uncharacteristic outburst, I wanted to unpack why I had done this. This tiny pink journal posed no physical danger, but those written words hurt too much to hold in my hand. Had I just experienced a physical manifestation of the spiritual principle of casting my cares on the Lord? I think so.
More poignant than realizing I had physically cast those prayers down was realizing that I was never meant to pick those burdens back up spiritually. When the Lord cast great hailstones from heaven (Joshua 10), He meant for them to stay down. When the woman cast a piece of a millstone from the wall, killing Abimelech (2 Samuel 11), she did not hoist that heavy burden back up the wall. I imagine when Elijah cast his mantle on Elisha (1 Kings 19), Elijah thought something like, “This prophet gig is your problem now.” I understand better now that casting my burden on the Lord means not trying to pick it back up again.
This nine-year journey of paraphrasing each verse in the Bible and writing my prayers has been my best decision for spiritual growth. Writing my prayers has kept my mind focused instead of wandering. Physically tossing my first prayer journal onto the table helped me understand what God wants me to do. I need to cast my burdens on Him. He is strong enough to catch, carry, or crush them as needed. I need not pick them back up. But tomorrow, if I find myself having hoisted up that same burden, I just need to cast it right back on Him because He loves me.
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