Is your heart full? Your mind preoccupied? Your emotions leaden?

Jesus warns us to be on guard.

He knows the cares of life can weigh us down. If we let them, jobs, insurance, bills, family, health, and other cares can cause us to lose our perspective. We can overlook all our blessings and simply see burdens.

If we aren’t careful, the things that God has given to us can seem like a snare that has caught us, making us want to anesthetize ourselves with empty entertainment, dead-end relationships, or damaging chemicals.

Jesus gives us the weapon with which to protect ourselves: Prayer.

When we pray, when we reflect on the immense majesty of God, when we petition for His almighty hand to get involved in our affairs, the cares of this life don’t fill our hearts because God is there instead.

So, stop. Pray. You can’t afford to carry on without God’s help. Don’t lean on a momentary fix of your feelings. Reach out for “the peace that surpasses all understanding.” “Give your cares to Him, for He cares for you.” Then, you will be true to your faith, trusting God in all circumstances, able to stand before Jesus one day.