Devotionals by Pastor Rick Warren

Four Steps to Overcoming Worry
By Rick Warren

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

It takes more than willpower to stop worrying—but you already know that, because you’ve already tried it. You’ve thought, “I shouldn’t worry about this,” yet it stays on your mind.

Here are four steps to help you stop worrying:

Get to know God.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:32, “Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things” (CEV). If you don’t have a relationship with God, you have every reason to worry. That’s why you need to get to know God! 

As a believer, you have a heavenly Father who has promised to take care of you. You are God’s child, and children get special privileges. When you worry, you are acting like you don't have a loving Father who is with you and for you.

Put God first in every area of your life.

The Living Bible paraphrase says, “Don’t worry at all about having enough food and clothing. Your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life” (Matthew 6:31-33). Anytime you take God out of the center of your life and put anything else there—no matter how good it is—you’re going to worry.

Live one day at a time.

The Bible says, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NCV). If you’re worrying about tomorrow, you can’t enjoy today. Also, when you’re always worried about tomorrow, the future gets overwhelming. But God promises to give you the grace and strength you need when you need it. Right now, you only need enough power for today.

Trust God to care.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). How do you do that? One way is to memorize God’s promises in the Bible. They’re like an insurance policy for believers. When you know something’s covered, you don’t worry about it anymore. Another way to trust God is to pray. If you prayed as much as you worried, you’d have a lot less to worry about.

What’s the result of taking these four steps? “You will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand” (Philippians 4:7 NLT).

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Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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