Prayer about Resting in the Lord (updated April 2022)
Matthew 6:25-34: “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 important than food, and the body more important 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? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? . . . But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Psalm 46:1-3, 10: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.... Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 25:9, 37:7: “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way… Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…”
Lord, You know how easily I give in to worry, to stress, to fear, to feeling like I will make too many mistakes and mess everything up and be too weak to handle things. I can make myself crazy with fear, and it’s hurting me, exhausting me, crushing me. And I can’t do it anymore. You never wanted me to live a fearful life anyway. But I have let myself believe the enemy’s lies that everything rests on me, that I am alone in my struggle, that I will always fail or let You down, that You don’t care about my pain, and that I have to be big enough, strong enough, capable enough, and wise enough to handle everything. And this stresses me because I know I am not big enough, strong enough, capable enough, or wise enough to handle everything.
But it’s ok. I don’t have to be those things… because You are. You are big enough, strong enough, capable enough, and wise enough for both of us. Forgive me for listening to Satan’s lies, to the one who wants to discourage me and destroy me and pull me away from You, from the help, healing, and wholeness You offer. Forgive me, Lord, and help me grab onto Your truth instead.
Lord, most of my fears and concerns are out of my hands anyway. I can’t do anything about them, but I worry over them as if it’s my job to fix them. And this worry has been crushing me. And so right now, I give these concerns over to You. You work it out the way You want it to be. And instead, I will focus on the things You ask me to focus on – living humbly and obediently before You daily, working for Your glory in whatever I do, trusting in You, and drawing near to You daily. You are God and I am not! If You can create this world out of nothing and hang the stars in the sky, You can handle my problems too. And I will trust You enough to let You do it.
And so I am throwing myself on You right now, leaning on You instead of on myself, trusting You to make my path straight, to handle my concerns and comfort my fears. And even when it feels like everything is falling apart, I trust that You are still there. You are still in control, holding it all together, holding onto me, helping me on the journey, and working all things out for good. I don’t have to always know what to do because I know You, and that is enough. And so today I am not going to focus on fixing anything; I’m just going to be still in You and know that You are God. You are my refuge and my strength. You will straighten out my path, in Your time and in Your way, as I walk with You each day. Thank You for being my heavenly Father who cares for me.
In Jesus’s name, Amen
