This morning, while getting ready for my day, a friend of mine who is battling cancer came strongly to mind. A couple of weeks ago, I had reached out, hoping to visit him, but he wasn’t feeling up to it. We talked briefly on the phone, and before we hung up, I prayed for him. Today, when he came to mind again, I stopped and prayed once more. Years ago, I would have done something very different—I would have worried about him. For much of my younger life, worry was my natural response when the people I loved faced difficult situations. I would think about their problem repeatedly, imagine different outcomes, and carry the emotional weight of it with me throughout the day. But eventually I realized something important: worrying about someone does not help them, and it certainly doesn’t help me. Jesus makes this point very clearly. Luke 12:22–25 (NLT) “Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, ‘That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life… Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?’” Worry feels like concern, but it accomplishes nothing. It drains our strength, robs us of peace, steals sleep, and fills our minds with scenarios we cannot control.
My mother was one of the most compassionate people I have ever known, and I believe I inherited much of my caring heart from her. But she also believed that worrying for people was almost a spiritual expression of compassion. Many people think that way. Yet Scripture teaches something very different. God never instructs us to worry for others; He instructs us to pray. 1 Peter 5:7 (TLB) “Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” The Bible tells us to cast our cares on the Lord. That word is intentional. It doesn’t mean gently handing our worries over while secretly holding onto them. It means throwing them onto Him with confidence that He will carry them. But we must cast those cares in faith. Casting our cares in faith means we pray about the situation and truly turn it over to God, trusting that He cares far more about the person or the problem than we do and that He is able to work in ways we cannot see.
Many people struggle here because their worries return again and again. I know, because that used to happen to me. I would pray about something and then pick the worry right back up again. Worries have a way of crawling back into your lap like a persistent little puppy. But when God’s promises become real in your heart, something changes. You begin to understand Scripture in a deeper way. Philippians 4:6–7 (NIV) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.” God invites us to bring everything to Him in prayer—not just the small concerns but every burden that weighs on our hearts. And when we do, He promises that His peace will guard both our hearts and our minds.
Why does God ask us to do this? Because He loves us and cares deeply about every situation that touches our lives. Matthew 6:8 (NKJV) “…for your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” Even though God already knows our needs, He still calls us to bring them to Him in prayer and trust Him to act. Jesus even taught that faith believes before it sees the answer. Mark 11:24 (NKJV) “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” I grew up as a worrier, but I have learned something important over the years: worry makes us ineffective. It doesn’t help the people we care about, and it doesn’t solve their problems. God’s kind of compassion leads us somewhere much better. It moves us to pray—real prayers that invite His power into the situation. I am not God, and I cannot solve anyone’s problems. But when I place those burdens in His hands, I can pray, trust Him, and move forward with my day in peace. That kind of faith-filled compassion helps far more than worry ever could.
1 Peter 5:7 (TLB) “Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.”
