Don’t Worry. Pray.

I first heard the story of David and Goliath (found in 1 Samuel 17) when I was a little girl in Sunday school. What stuck with me was the picture of courageous little David against a huge, nasty giant! Later, I learned the other details of the story. The Philistines had encroached on the Israelites in Judah. And the Israelite army under King Saul were prepared to fight. They were encamped on one hill with the Philistine army on the other and a valley in between. But then a hulking giant lumbered out of the Philistine camp: nine-foot-tall Goliath, dressed from head to toe in gleaming armor and carrying a javelin and a hefty spear with an iron point weighing fifteen pounds. Goliath’s booming voice challenged the Israelites to send out a warrior. If that soldier could defeat him, Goliath vowed the Philistines would become the Israelites’ subjects. Simple. But not. This same scene unfolded for forty days, with the Israelites always retreating in fear. 

Goliath’s challenge went unmet . . . until the day young David, a shepherd, came to bring provisions for his brothers in the Israelite army. When David learned of the challenge, he told Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him” (1 Samuel 17:32). King Saul tried to persuade David to wear his royal armor, but David refused. He went out carrying only a sling and a few stones. Despite Goliath’s imposing figure and murderous threats, David said, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (v. 45). And in God’s name, five-foot-something David defeated Goliath. This story may be as familiar to you as it is to me, but I see it in a new light when I consider how remarkably unafraid David was in the face of a terrible threat.

Surrendering Worry

Unlike all the men in the Israelite army (including King Saul), David was unafraid—and he obviously wasn’t worried. He trusted that God would help him to succeed. Most of us haven’t been in such a terrifying situation. But we’ve all been afraid. Worry is a form of fear, but not necessarily fear of something imminent or present. We worry something might or might not happen. Some of our worries seem as daunting as Goliath was to the Israelites. We may worry that we’ll never marry, never have a child, never do this or accomplish that. I worried when my husband lost his job while I was a stay-at-home mom with two young children and a third on the way. I worried when my teens struggled and were in trouble. But along the way, I learned that the very best way to handle the worry was to pray—trusting the situation to God’s mighty and capable hands and remembering Jesus loves me and died for me! It didn’t always come naturally, but God helped me.

In His Word, God gave us multiple examples of those who worried and those who didn’t (for example, Joseph and Daniel showed no fear or worry; Abraham is an example of both fear and trust). And Jesus specifically encouraged us not to worry. In Matthew 6, in the Sermon on the Mount, He said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (vv. 25-26). And He showed us by example that we “should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1).

A Reminder of God’s Presence

Not long ago, I received a gentle reminder about worry and prayer. My cat didn’t return one night when I repeatedly called him to come in (yes, he usually comes when I call). When I told my son, he asked, “Did you pray?” I hadn’t. Instead, I’d worried. So, I prayed. And not long after, Kerfluffle (kerfuffle with an added l) was at the door meowing to come in. 

My point isn’t that God always immediately answers and provides when we pray. He doesn’t. He’s not a genie at our beck and call. What I was reminded of was that God wants us to put our worries and fears and concerns (no matter how small or how overwhelming) in His hands by praying and trusting in Him. I’ve learned I can accomplish or resolve nothing, absolutely nothing, by worrying. But I serve the Creator and Sustainer who can do and does great things for His children. 

It’s natural to worry, but God doesn’t want worry or fear to overpower or control us. He wants us to trust that just as He’s got the tiny sparrow, He’s got us. 

When you’re worried, pray. He hears, He brings peace, and He provides. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).

—Written by Alyson Kieda. Used by permission from the author.