Is it appropriate for Christians to pray for physical safety? For example, every time my family takes a trip, we ask God to protect us, to keep us out of harm’s way, and to arrive safely at our destination.

On countless occasions, God has answered our prayer. But when I think of all the Christians who have died in car accidents and plane crashes, as well as the thousands of believers who have been senselessly martyred for their faith throughout the centuries, I wonder: is it appropriate that we ask God to protect us when it may not be His will to do so?

I concluded that it is okay to pray for our physical well-being. This is why.

David did. In Psalm 16: 1 we read the simple prayer: “Keep me, O God” (NIV). Make no mistake, this is a prayer for physical safety. The ESV and NASB translate this verse as “Preserve me.” The psalmist asks God to protect him as a bodyguard protects the president or a pastor defends his flock.

David prayed this prayer often. It is a recurring theme in his psalms. (See Psalm 3: 7-8, 4: 1, 5: -13, 6: 4, 7: 1-2, 9: 11-14.) And we only need to read 1 and 2 Samuel to know why.

Jesus did. According to Peter in Acts 2: 29-31 and Paul in Acts 13: 35-38, Psalm 16 finds its final fulfillment in Jesus the Messiah. It certainly has an initial application for David, but in light of these New Testament passages, we must see Jesus as the main theme here.

So while David, the son of Jesse, prayed this prayer for physical protection, so did the Elder David, the Son of God. During our Savior’s earthly sojourn, He was also harassed by those who sought to destroy Him. Most of the time it seems as if Jesus is moving freely, because he came to preach the Good News to the poor and to lay his hands on the sick. But we also read about how Jesus “withdrew” to remote areas to escape both the gathering crowd and the plot of his enemies to kill him (see Mark 3: 6-7).

We should too. We must trust God for physical safety, knowing all the time that in this life, such protection is not guaranteed. Our lives are in your hands. He has sovereign control over us and decides how long we can stay on earth.

Ultimately, God’s protection for us extends to both our physical and spiritual well-being. Psalm 16 is one of the most impressive promises in the Bible about God’s eternal protection for both Jesus and His people.

When Jesus was on the cross, he could confidently pray that “you will not leave me in the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decline” (Psalm 16:10). Jesus knew that his heavenly Father would raise him from the dead. As He suffered for our sins, the Savior knew that infinite joy was only moments away and that “You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand” (Psalm 16:11).

And because David and Jesus prayed this prayer, we can too. Regardless of whether God answers our prayer for physical safety in this life, He will answer it forever in the next. The promise of resurrection found in Psalm 16 is for David, for Jesus, and for all of God’s people.