Everyday Step with Jesus

There are so many responsibilities that constantly keep us busy in our day to day, so much to get done that sometimes it seems like there just isn’t enough time in a day. As the responsibilities grow our stress also tends to grow. This past week has definitely been one in which the responsibilities just seemed to keep growing and piling up for me. I began to feel the load get heavy, but the Lord kept reminding me to go to Him and His beautiful presence. He is always available to us, offering us His peace that surpasses all understanding, but it is up to us to go to Him. Whatever situation you are going through, whether it be work, school, or home responsibilities…know that you can find rest In Him. How do we find His rest in the midst of our responsibilities and worries? Keep on reading…

1. Pray

This should be our first response to any problem…sadly it isn’t. I can say that there have been times when I had to keep telling myself to pray because I allowed the worry or stress to get the best of me and then I prayed. But His word tells us:

‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be  made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through  Christ Jesus.’ Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

Prayer should be our response to everything, not just in the moments of trouble. When we communicate with our Father we are able to rest and enjoy one of the many benefits of His rest…His peace.

The disciples fell asleep and couldn’t watch for an hour, on the other hand, Jesus had just come from praying because He was deeply distressed (Mark 14:34 NKJV). Jesus is our prime example for everything, here we see what one should do when deeply distressed…pray. 

2. Be intentional about spending time in His presence 

When we have so much going on it can become easy to think that we don’t have time to spend with God. Sometimes this may not even be done intentionally, but by focusing so much on our responsibilities we put spending time with the Lord in third place, fourth place or even last…this is a huge mistake. In reality in the moments when we have a lot going on is when we should be spending the most time in His presence, in His presence we will be renewed and strengthened.  Spending time in His presence includes prayer, reading His word, meditating on His word, or worshipping. Being intentional about our time with the Lord requires discipline. His word says:

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Mark 14:38 NKJV

The disciples fell asleep a total of three times, and in this case the disciples were getting too much rest (Lol). We know that our flesh is weak, therefore, we must make a habit of spending time in His presence and this requires discipline. I have found this verse to be very true in my walk with Christ…my spirit is willing and wants of God, but my flesh oftentimes is weak. This has helped me to realize that merely wanting is not enough. We must also take action. When we give in to our flesh we allow our worries and stress to become greater than our spirit’s desire to be in His presence and we focus more on everything that is going on around us. 

3. Go to Him

We probably all have heard, “Let go & Let God”, but sometimes this can be easier said than done…and how exactly do we let go? Jesus tells us:

‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”’ Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV

Jesus makes a call to all those who are tired by routine, overwork, responsibilities, and/or stress to GO to Him. When we take His yoke, we are getting under His leadership and walking in His footsteps. When we take His yoke, we pass all our burdens unto Him. We no longer carry those problems on our shoulders. The yoke becomes light in Him. In His presence, we are renewed and strengthened.

‘He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’ Isaiah 40:29-31

We will still have the work to get done, but when we are led by Him and hope in Him, we won’t get tired and we won’t faint…instead we will be strengthened. 

Being able to rest in His presence is a beautiful privilege that we have, but we must be the ones to enter into His rest. I know from experience that it can be hard to do this when the stress gets to our head, but that is why prayer should be our first response to everything, so that His peace can guard our hearts and minds.  Don’t look at prayer as another item on your to do list, but rather as an opportunity to communicate with the only One that can give you the rest that you need. I think that with a lot of things, getting started is the hard part, but once you start doing it, it becomes easier and you actually don’t want to stop. We don’t have to pray for hours and hours, it is not the amount of time in prayer but rather the quality of our prayers, the honesty in which we pray (Matthew 6:7 NKJV). If you have been feeling burdened, I encourage you to seek His presence and you will find the rest you need in Him. 

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me besides the still waters. Psalm 23:2 NKJV