When a person advises you to put your worry, trouble, or fear on "the altar of God," is this biblical in every sense?
It seems like unsound advice in the sense that it is advice to give God the leftovers or the bottom of the person's “emotional barrel”. If we're supposed to always give Him our best, this doesn't make sense.
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Asked September 24 2014
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Anonymous
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Janice Burton
1 Peter 5:7 instructs Believers to cast our cares (worries, anxieties) on God because He cares for us and will help us through times of human emotional distress. Philippians 4:6-7 instructs us to not worry about anything but to pray and give our worry to The Lord. References to "the altar of God" as I have heard them and understand them in my spiritual upbringing are nothing more than references to these scriptures. The bible also encourages us to pray about everything. Real life issues and situations are not leftovers. God knew we would have trials and tribulations in this world, so His "altar" is open at all times to bring cares & requests as well as praise and thanksgiving. The reference to an altar is not a literal altar but is biblical because altars were where people met God or met with God. So it is perfectly biblical to meet God or meet with God about our concerns. God, in His third person, The Holy Spirit, is our Wonderful, Competent, Compassionate, Always Available Counselor.
Krista Caswell
Yes, it is Biblical advice. The Bible tells us that God loves us. (Romans 5:8) He cares about our worries. He cares about our troubles. He cares about what we care about. (The Psalms of David) He also doesn't want us to be afraid. (Proverbs 3:24, Luke 12:4, Deuteronomy 31:6, Isaiah 41:10, etc...) When we have fear, doubt, worry, troubled spirits, we should hand it over to God, just as we hand over our joy, love, happiness, peace, etc... It is not disrespect, but a continuing of a relationship with God. Jesus is a friend to us that is better than our own siblings. Why keep things that worry you from your best friend? He wants to know what is happening in our lives from our perspective so that He can heal you and help you through to the victory.
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