Why Worry When You Can Pray?

Women tend to be worriers. I know I am! I try not to worry, but there are so many things that I can worry about in a given day: trying to accomplish many things in a limited amount of time each day, trying to meal plan in a healthier way, trying to keep a clean house, and attempting to maintain my health. The list is extensive, and I do not even have children yet! I will not even begin to name the things that I cannot control.

God always has a way to remind me not to worry but to pray instead. Let me say, praying even the simplest prayer really can take away that worry. Just the other day, I was reading in Psalm 42 when I came across the last verse of the chapter. This verse reads, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. This verse spoke to me; however, I continued reading. The last verse in the very next chapter says, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. These verses are nearly identical! I was taught that what is in the Bible is important; however, if a truth is in the Bible twice, then it is very important. When I read the verse in chapter 43, it was as if God were telling me, “You need to stop and listen to this verse.” That is exactly what I did. I began to pick the verse apart, piece by piece.

When I worry, I am cast down and discouraged. I tend to see what is right in front of me instead of the One Who is watching over me. The word disquieted is used in both verses. According to the dictionary, disquieted means “worried or anxious.” I tend to focus on all the problems that I see and cause myself to worry. When I worry about one thing, everything else seems to be burdens about which I need to worry.

God reminded me in this verse that my hope is in Him. I do not need to worry when God is with me. He is truly in control. Even on the days when everything feels out of control, God is right there holding everything in place, right where it needs to be.

My health—it is in God’s hands.

My time—it is in God’s hands.

My life—it is in God’s hands.

Do you need a stress reliever or a hobby to calm you? These verses have the secret: just praise God. The best way to praise God is through prayer. I have never said a prayer when I did not feel relieved by the end of that prayer. The burdens and trials are still there, but by the time I say “amen,” God gives me peace. These verses reminded me of a little chorus I learned called “Why Worry When You Can Pray.”