What the Bible Really Says About Casting Your Cares When You Feel Overwhelmed
Have you ever whispered, “God, I trust You…” and still felt the crushing weight of anxiety in your chest?
Many of us believe God is able, yet we still feel overwhelmed.
But the swirl of overthinking, the heart-pounding pressure, the shortness of breath…it stays.
The truth is, overwhelm is not a sign of spiritual failure. It’s a signal—one that reveals where your thoughts are dwelling and what you might still be carrying alone.
And here's what Scripture wants you to know:
“Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].”
— 1 Peter 5:7, AMP
This is not a poetic suggestion.
How to Truly Cast Your Cares When You’re Drowning in Overwhelm
If you’ve ever felt stuck in anxiety even after you’ve prayed, you are not broken. You are not faithless. And you are definitely not alone.
You’re carrying too much.
Giving too much weight to thoughts God never asked you to entertain.
Maybe you’ve been walking with God for years, but lately it feels more like limping. You know the Scriptures. You know He is faithful. But your emotions are telling a different story.
So, how do you cast your cares on Him when they seem glued to your chest?
First, Let’s Define “Cast”
The word cast in 1 Peter 5:7 means to throw forcefully or hurl away, as in, to get it off you, fast. It’s not a gentle laying down. It’s not a quiet release. It’s urgent and intentional.
“Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.”
— 1 Peter 5:7
The Amplified version adds nuance:
“…casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].”
Imagine a child playing the game Hot Potato. The goal is simple: don’t hold onto it. As soon as the “potato” lands in your hands, you pass it along before it burns you.
Anxiety is like that. It may come your way, but it’s not meant to stay.
Yet so many of us hold onto it.
We dress it up in spiritual language, but deep down, we’re still afraid to let go.
Because letting go requires trust. And trust gets tested in our most vulnerable places.
Surrender Starts in Your Spirit, Not Your Emotions
Here’s what I’ve learned—and what I teach my clients:
“Surrender starts in your spirit, not your emotions.
Peace flows when you agree with God, not when your feelings calm down.”
That’s the domino belief that changes everything.
Your emotions may still scream.
Your nervous system may still shake.
But your spirit can still agree with Heaven.
And that’s where peace begins.
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.”
— Isaiah 26:3
This isn’t a passive verse—it’s a strategy.
When your thoughts are fixed on fear, fear grows.
When your thoughts are fixed on truth, peace grows.
Your mind and heart are guarded by peace, not self-preservation.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 4:6-7
Overwhelm: A Signal, Not a Sentence
The word overwhelm literally means to be overpowered by a stronger force.
Weariness means to be weakened by pressure, and
Fainting is caused by a lack of nourishment (physically or spiritually).
Beloved Daughter, if you are feeling weary, it doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’ve been trying to carry what only God was meant to hold.
But here’s the beautiful promise:
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
— Isaiah 40:29
“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”
— Jeremiah 31:25, NIV
Jesus didn’t say, “Get it together and come to Me.” He said:
“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28, NLT
His rest isn’t earned. It’s received.
And it begins the moment you admit, “Lord, I’m tired.”
When You’re Overwhelmed, Run to the Rock
“From the ends of the earth, I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.”
— Psalm 61:2-3, NIV
When your thoughts spiral, you need a higher vantage point. A rock that doesn’t move. That Rock is Christ.
He is still your place of safety.
He is still your anchor in the storm.
He is still your peace when nothing else makes sense.
So, How Do You Cast Your Cares?
Let’s make this practical.
Here’s what I teach my clients to do in the moment anxiety shows up:
1. Acknowledge the thought, but don’t agree with it.
Your thought is not your identity. It’s just a signal. Acknowledge it like you would a flashing light—then ask, “What truth can I choose instead?”
2. Say it out loud: “This is not mine to carry.”
There is power in your voice. Casting your cares means releasing them—emotionally, mentally, spiritually. Speak it and mean it.
3. Pray with thanksgiving.
Even before you feel better. Thank God for His strength, His promises, His peace.
“With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God…”
— Philippians 4:6
4. Visualize the “hot potato” being tossed to God.
Let the image of tossing that anxiety away imprint in your mind. You are not created to hold what He has promised to carry.
The Bottom Line
You were never meant to carry it all.
You were meant to cast it all—every fear, every “what if,” every burden—into the arms of a Father who cares for you deeply.
Overwhelm doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong.
It means it’s time to come home to peace.
“The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds, we are healed.”
— Isaiah 53:5, NIV
Have you been holding on to your fears like a hot potato… but never actually releasing them?
What’s one thing you can cast to God today?
Want help putting this into practice?
Comment “CAST” below, and I’ll send you my free Cast Your Cares Prayer Journal. You will learn how to cast your cares and receive peace.
You’ll also be the first to get updates on my Restored & Renewed coaching program, where I help Christian women stop spiraling and start living in peace, purpose, and divine confidence.
You don’t have to live under the weight of anxiety anymore.
There is a seat with your name on it in the heavenly realm (Ephesians 2:6), and from that place, you reign, you rest, and you rise.