A Prayer to Do Less and Trust God More - Your Daily Prayer - September 5
A Prayer to Do Less and Trust God More
By Rick Warren
“We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally — not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead!” - 2 Corinthians 1:8-9
Some of you have had some goals and dreams that you’ve been striving, seeking, working, hustling, hurrying for year after year after year, and you haven’t achieved them yet. Why don’t you just back off a little bit? Relax. Chill out. Trust God. Watch what he can do. He can do it a whole lot faster and a whole lot better than you can do it.
The only benefit of being stretched and being on overload is that it forces you to trust God. It brings you to your knees, and you realize you’re up against the wall, out of steam, out of energy.
One time the Apostle Paul hit burnout. He was in Asia, working and serving. And he was ready to throw in the towel!
God can do what you can’t do. Jesus did not say, “If you’re busy, you can move mountains.” He didn’t say, “If you work really hard and get really stressed out, you can move a mountain.” He said that if you have faith, you can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Faith, not busyness, is what gets the job done.
So what’s your mountain? What’s the problem in your life that needs moving? Stop doing so much! Do less, and trust God more.
Pray this prayer today:
Father, I’ve lived without margin in my life for so long I can hardly remember what it’s like to not feel fatigue or pressure all the time. I think fatigue is the normal way I’m supposed to live and feel, but it’s not. I’m tired of being rushed and late and exhausted all the time. I’ve got too many irons in the fire, and I need your help to get out of the mess I’ve gotten myself into. Help me to recognize and accept my limitations. Help me to put some space in my schedule. I need breathing room and margin in my life. Jesus Christ, I know I can’t do it all, and I need your wisdom in deciding what matters most and what I should do. I don’t want to waste my life. Please give me the courage to say ‘no’ to the wrong things and ‘yes’ to the right things. Most of all, help me to trust you. Forgive me for thinking and acting as if everything depends on me. It doesn’t. It all depends on you! I want to have greater faith in you and less reliance on myself. I want less stress and more margin in my life. In your name I pray. Amen.
Content taken from the Daily Hope with Rick Warren devotional, Do Less and Trust God More, written by Rick Warren. You can read that piece in full here.
Related Resource: Establishing a Routine of Rest
For a long time, rest felt less like a gift and more like a guilty indulgence — something to be earned, something to feel vaguely ashamed of, something that productive, faithful people did not really need. In a world that measures worth by output, the idea of stopping feels dangerously close to falling behind.
But what if rest is not optional? What if it was never meant to be? Tonight, lay down the hustle. Receive the gift. This is exactly what you were made for. Your Nightly Prayer is a daily Christian prayer podcast from the LifeAudio Podcast Network and Crosswalk.com. Each night, the team behind Crosswalk.com brings you a devotional and prayer to help you end your day in conversation with God. May these nightly prayers help you find the words to pray and focus your heart and mind on the love of God as you end your day. If you like what you hear, subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
