Winning the War in Your Mind P5
Why Do I Always Worry? | David Molver | 18 October 2026
Scripture: Matthew 6:19–34; Philippians 4:6–8
Sometimes we spend so much time worrying about tomorrow that we forget to live today.
For many of us, bedtime can feel like a boardroom meeting: unfinished tasks, family needs, money, work and uncertain plans all demand attention at once.
Not every worry has such a simple answer. Still, one question can help us notice what is happening: Am I addressing the problem, or am I just rehearsing it?
Worry can sometimes alert us to a useful action. Rehearsing the same fear without moving towards action, support, or acceptance can keep us stuck.
Worry is not a failure of faith
Worry is a human experience; it doesn't mean someone is a bad Christian or doesn't trust God.
Worry is concern about what might happen;
Anxiety includes fear or unease;
Rumination is going over the same concern repeatedly without finding a way forward.
NOTICE what has your attention
Uncertainty can make us reach for control. We may even begin to believe that worrying is how we protect the people and things we love.
What has my attention? What is occupying my heart?
In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks about what we treasure and what fills our hearts before he addresses worry. He points to birds and wildflowers as reminders of God’s care. Jesus is not mocking practical needs or telling people that hardship will never come. He is inviting his followers to trust God with what they cannot secure by worry, and to give their attention to what is in front of them today.
BRING your worries to God honestly
Philippians 4:6–7 invites us to bring our requests to God in prayer, with thanksgiving. That is not pretending everything is fine. We can tell God when we are angry, afraid, unsure how to provide, or worried about someone we love. Thanksgiving helps us remember God’s faithfulness even while the situation is unresolved.
RENEW the way you respond
A worry may return after we have prayed about it.
A swallow that flew into the church office and circled for hours, even though the doors were open. When it changed its flight path, it noticed the exit and flew to freedom.
When a thought keeps circling, we can ask whether there is a different route: a practical action, an honest conversation, a boundary, support from someone we trust, or help from a qualified professional.
Not every obstacle can be walked around, and some concerns
require more than one kind of support.
Counselling or medication, when appropriate, is not evidence of weak faith; it can be part of a wise next step.
LIVE one faithful next step
Three questions to ask:
• What can I control?
• What can I influence?
• What do I need to release to God?
Life Group discussion questions
1. When does your mind tend to hold its “boardroom meeting”?
2. What's the difference between addressing a problem and rehearsing it?
3. In Matthew 6:25–34, what do Jesus’ words about the birds, wildflowers, and tomorrow invite us to trust?
4. Which is hardest for you: identifying what you can control, what you can influence, or what you need to release to God? Why?
5. How does prayer with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6–8) help when a situation has not yet changed?
6. If a worry keeps returning, what different path/action step might help?
Helpful Resources
Madz Deyzel— Edify
EDIFY is an organization established by Madz Deyzel in 2019, founder of Grace Counselling, that partners with local churches to offer hope to communities struggling with mental health needs.
Check out these links below for more from Madz:
Dr Andy Yarborough — The Well Clinic
Dr Andy’s free resources include practical tools for emotional awareness, self-leadership and wholistic self-care. Particularly helpful are the Awareness Journal, Emotion and Parts Mapping, Holy Listening, and Rhythms of Wholistic Self-Care and Leadership.
Craig Groeschel
Winning the War in Your Mind — practical help for identifying destructive thought patterns and renewing the mind.
Heal Your Hurting Mind: Biblical Hope for Anxiety, Depression, Burnout, and the Emotions No One Talks About - with Dr Wayne Chappelle — Groeschel shares his own experience of anxiety and burnout alongside practical psychological tools and biblical hope. It is especially relevant to this series because it brings together faith, mental health, and professional wisdom.
Brené Brown
Atlas of the Heart — a helpful guide to understanding and naming our emotions, developing emotional language, and building deeper connections.
Peter Scazzero
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality - A helpful guide to integrating emotional maturity with Christian discipleship.
The Emotionally Healthy Leader - Particularly useful for leaders navigating stress, boundaries and sustainable service.
These resources are intended for reflection, growth, and conversation. They are not substitutes for professional counselling, medical care, or crisis support when you need them.
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