When You Feel Unmotivated - Your Nightly Prayer - January 7th
When You Feel Unmotivated
Your Nightly Prayer
by Rachel Wojo, Host of the Untangling Prayer podcast
TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE
"Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9
SOMETHING TO PONDER
Have you ever looked at a sink full of dishes and felt like you just couldn't? Not because you didn't know how to wash them, but because the motivation simply wasn't there. One more load of laundry. One more meal to make. One more thing that needed doing. It all felt like too much.
I had one of those days recently. Laundry piles everywhere, kitchen a mess, to-do list growing by the hour. But what made it worse, I confess, was that my Bible sat unopened on the nightstand. Prayer felt like another task I didn't have energy for. Even the things that usually brought me life felt like obligations.
As the morning turned to afternoon, I grew more sluggish, not less. I felt myself get sidetracked by scrolling on my phone. Pretty soon, that turned into avoiding responsibilities. The sun was shining outside, but I couldn't get myself moving. Finally, I thought maybe the afternoon sunshine would help. Maybe a walk.
I didn't feel like going. I had to force myself to put on my shoes. But after a few steps, the sun broke through the clouds and warmed my face. That's when it hit me: doing for the ones I love was exactly what Jesus wanted me to do. Those mundane chores didn't have to stay mundane when I saw them as acts of kindness toward my family.
That walk became a turning point. When I obeyed in that one small thing, God met me with a different perspective.
Paul wrote Galatians 6:9, knowing full well that we get tired. We grow weary of doing good things. The daily grind wears us down. Spiritual disciplines feel dry. Acts of service feel thankless. He wasn't being naive about how hard it is to keep going.
But look at what he says next: "At the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." God isn't asking you to feel motivated all of a sudden. He's asking you to take the next small step, trusting that His Spirit will renew you as you go. We just need to keep going; He will carry us to the reward.
Are you feeling exhausted tonight? Maybe your prayer life feels stale. The thought of one more bedtime routine makes you want to quit. Maybe you're in that mid-winter slump where days are short, the weather is dreary, and your energy is gone.
Can I remind you, Friend, that you don't need to feel motivated to obey? You just need to take one small step. Open your Bible for five minutes instead of thirty. Pray one sentence. Wash one dish. Get outside for one walk. God shows up in those small acts of obedience, especially when we don't feel like doing them.
The harvest Paul talks about isn't always immediate. Sometimes it's the slow, steady build of small acts of faithfulness over time. But God renews us in the process, giving us strength we didn't have and purpose in moments we thought didn't matter.
Will you pray with me?
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
I'm tired tonight. Daily responsibilities feel overwhelming, and motivation is low. Even good things like prayer and reading Your Word can feel like too much if I allow them to. Forgive me for giving up instead of asking You for strength. Help me remember that you don't need me to feel motivated. You just ask me to take one small step, trusting Your Spirit will renew me. Tomorrow, give me the strength to do the next right thing, even if it's small. Remind me that mundane moments matter when done in love. Thank You that Your grace meets me in weariness, and the harvest will come in Your timing.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. One Small Step:
Remember when you hit the finish line on a project or task recently? That feeling of accomplishment is wonderful, isn’t it? Now think of all the small steps it took to get there. Every ounce of that strength was a gift from God. That’s something to be grateful for!
2. Ministry Isn’t Mundane:
Think about a mundane task you did recently. Washing dishes, folding laundry, or maybe it was driving somewhere. What if you did that same thing tomorrow as an act of worship? Ordinary moments are actually chances to experience God's presence; imagine how the task might feel if you could remember that.
3. When God Renewed You:
Remember a time when you felt completely done but kept showing up anyway. How did God meet you? Maybe through unexpected strength or a shift in how you saw things. That same faithfulness is available right now.
As you close your eyes tonight, remember this: God doesn't need your motivation. He offers His strength. The harvest is coming, even when you can't see it. Your small acts of obedience matter more than you know.
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Thank you for joining us tonight. We hope this prayer has encouraged your heart. If you're struggling to find strength when you feel like giving up, we invite you to check out Rachel's book One More Step: Finding Strength When You Feel Like Giving Up. Using the never-failing promises in God's Word, Rachel shows you how to discover the strength to push through your pain and persevere when you'd rather just quit. You can find the link in the show notes. Until next time, remember, God's Spirit renews you even when your energy runs low, and He meets you in every small step of obedience.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Fizkes
If you enjoy Rachel’s prayers, you’ll appreciate the beautiful prayer card set, 31 Days of Prayers for the Heart. Enjoy and display Rachel Wojo's beautiful 31-day prayer card collection that includes A Morning Prayer, A Prayer for the Moment, and more! Easily place your favorite on display or transition through the set using one each day for a month. All cards securely rest in the display stand. This set includes 5x7 cards on sturdy 100 lb cardstock, beautiful, smooth professional print, and a handcrafted wooden display stand to hold all cards.
Now that you've prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below!
