A Prayer for Rest

Genesis 2:2 tells us, “On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.”  Doctors tell us that many of our infirmities are caused by a lack of rest.  Even God rested.

The prophet Elijah needed rest. In I Kings 19, Elijah is running away from King Ahab and his evil wife, Jezebel, who has threatened to take his life.  The Holy Bible says he went alone into the wilderness, traveling all day.  He was tired, and sat down under a broom tree to tell God how he felt. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”  The Holy Bible goes on to say in the next verse that Elijah laid down and slept under a broom tree.

Elijah was so tired and hungry that he wasn’t thinking clearly.  After receiving the proper rest and food, Elijah was ready to go again.  I’m sure he was glad that God did not immediately grant his request.

Often we gain a more realistic perspective on our times of crisis with proper rest.  If we are having difficulty finding the opportunity to get the rest we need, we can ask God for it.

In Psalm 55, David is overwhelmed by his troubles and cries out to God saying in Psalm 55:6, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!”  David knew that the proper rest would provide clarity to his circumstance.

The Holy Bible commands us to rest one day a week in the fourth commandment.  If we can’t seem to find the proper rest, we can claim God’s promise in Psalm 127:2, “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.”

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please grant my plea for rest. My body, mind, and spirit are exhausted. We claim Your promise in Jeremiah 31:25, that You give rest to the weary. Lord, we ask that You provide both the opportunity and the ability for our bodies to rest.

We thank You for setting aside an entire day each week for us to rest.  May we remember this day and keep it holy, as Your Word commands us in Exodus 20.

We thank You for the promise in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Lord, we ask that our rest be uninterrupted, and we thank You that we will be refreshed and strengthened for the tasks ahead as a result of this rest.

Forgive us for failing You, Father, and help us to forgive others who fail us.

We ask all these things in Your precious, holy name.

AMEN.