Too tired to pray.
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” (Psalm 23:2-3)
Transparency moment: There are times when I come home from a full day of work, being a friend, and just learning how to be an adult and the last thing I want to do is open my bible or watch a sermon or worship. There are times when my brain equates time with God with being an obstacle to rest rather than the place where I can rest. I know I’m not alone in this. Do you ever feel like the demands and frustrations of life make it seem impossible to seek God?
First, know that being tired may not ever change. It is important to acknowledge that on the life-long journey of walking with God, there will be days when basking in His presence is all you want to do, and there will be other days when it will be a very active choice to seek Him. Think of a marriage. Sure, there is a big wedding day with friends and family; there’s the honeymoon filled with passion and romance. Then there is the actual marriage. The daily routines of work, meal-prep, children, etc. test the real strength of the relationship. Now I’m not married (yet!) but I hear that married couples don’t always FEEL like loving each other the way God commands. Something that I can relate to is friendship.
If I’m being honest, I don’t always feel like being a good friend. After a long day, sometimes I would rather not hear about what went wrong at my friend’s job or be supportive of a door that has opened for her as I continue to wait for my own. I hear God saying that the real relationship with Him begins when our reliance on “feeling like it” ends. When the puppy love and passion are no longer a pre-requisite for praise, worship, or devotional time, then you will be proven trustworthy and will see your spiritual maturity blossom. Throughout scripture, the body of Christ/the Church is compared to the bride and Christ is compared to a groom. Just as in an earthly marriage, our marriage with Christ will have days where we are propelled by love for Him; and there will be equally valid days where our desire to walk with Him must overpower our tendency to fall off.
God knows that you are tired. He sees the way that you are being pressed and stretched in this season. Could it be that if you could muster up a little more strength to press into His presence, He would indeed “lead me beside still waters…[and] restore [your] soul” (Psalm 23:2)? In your season of fatigue and exhaustion; in the midst of life’s pressures and challenges, I challenge you to MAKE time for the only One who can refresh your soul and grant you rest. True rest is in His presence. It sounds churchy and cliche, and I do not always practice what I preach, but I promise that whenever I slow myself down and take a moment to breathe…
...I breathe in His goodness. I remember that He keeps waking me up and covering me with the protection of His angels. I open His word and marvel at His consistency over time. My worries seem so small in comparison to the huge way He pours His love on me each day.
Prayer
God, I thank You for being a good shepherd. Thank you for always being willing to be my rest whenever I finally decide to stop running myself ragged. Thank you for the promises in Your word that remind me that You will fight the battles of life on my behalf; all I need to do is still myself and keep my eyes on You. Teach me how to be still- how to pause my racing mind, silence distractions, and remember who You are. I love You more than the temptation to go straight to bed. Amen.
