Entering a New Season Rooted in God - Your Nightly Prayer - September 1
Entering a New Season Rooted in God
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
SOMETHING TO PONDER
As September begins and the busyness of a new season pulls at us from every side, this is the moment to ask ourselves if our roots are going deep in what matters, or if we are letting ourselves feel scattered and ungrounded.
A couple of years ago, I went through something that made me grapple with those questions.
Standing on the cracked sidewalk in front of the old, dilapidated, 1940 home I had just purchased, I could feel the weight of the project settling in. The ceilings were cracked, the floors were not level, and the smudged-up kitchen cabinets were falling off the hinges. Some windows were broken, others boarded up, and as for the bathrooms - let’s just say “ewww.”
Yet, I could see its potential. I had a vision in my mind of what I knew this little house could become. Beneath all that surface damage, the bones of the house were fairly solid.
So, as my heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and trepidation, I whispered a prayer, “God, I’m not quite sure what I’ve gotten myself into, but please guide me through this journey and help me stand firm, no matter what this project throws at me.”
I couldn’t help but recall how God calls His children to stay anchored in Him, especially during difficult seasons of transition or when we’re facing the unknown. I know this to be true as I think about all the times I've seen Him hold me steady when everything around me felt uncertain. When I felt like the ground beneath my feet was crumbling due to life’s circumstances, despite my love for the Lord.
The verses found in Jeremiah 17:7-8 paint a picture of what it means to stay rooted, much like a tree planted by water, steady and unshaken, no matter the season. Still beautiful. Still grounded. Still growing with strength, unaffected by what’s happening around it.
"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence... they are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water," came to mind as I started feeling anxious about this latest project. I realized it could easily scatter my attention in a hundred stressful directions because every room needed something, every decision pulled me somewhere else. But a tree doesn't grow by chasing every gust of wind. It grows by sinking its roots deeper into a single, steady source with a single core focus.
These words resonated with me because just as God calls us to stay rooted in Him no matter the season, I believed this little home could be steadied and made strong again, from the ground up.
Before we touched a single wall, we made sure the foundation was reinforced, because a house, just like a life, can't hold together if it's being pulled in every direction at once. Once the roots were secure, everything else had something solid to grow from. Although some parts of the foundation needed repair and strengthening, and the subfloors needed to be replaced to make it even stronger and more securely grounded, I knew it was a house worth saving. Sometimes what looks scattered and unfinished on the surface is still quietly rooted where it counts.
Over the next few weeks and months, my friend and I rolled up our sleeves and got to work, demolishing walls, ripping up floors, gutting the bathrooms, and the kitchen. With each step, we kept envisioning the transformation to come and stayed grounded in our focus.
Slowly, the house began to change. New walls were erected, cabinets and counters created new functionality, fresh paint brightened everything, new windows brought in sunlight, and modern fixtures brought life to the once-dreary spaces. Despite all the hard work, I found joy in the process, each task echoing the spiritual journey of growth and transformation.
The day finally came when … there she stood in all her cuteness. What was once shaky and neglected, with an uncertain future, was now a testament to hard work, vision, and faith. Transformed from the inside out. Grounded, steady, and built to last.
As I looked around the house, I felt a deep sense of fulfillment - not just for the project finished, but for what it represented. A house once scattered in pieces now stood on one steady, solid foundation, built from the ground up on something that could hold.
It struck me: this is what it looks like when roots run deep before anything else gets built. Not perfect. Not finished overnight. Just steady, from the inside out. And eventually, beauty and the fruit of our efforts.
September is a new season, and a good time to ask whether you're staying rooted, or letting your thoughts and energy be pulled in a dozen directions by new schedules, new demands, and new distractions. Just as I rolled up my sleeves to secure that house's foundation before anything else, invite God to plant your roots deep into Him first. No matter what you've experienced or where you find yourself right now, He is inviting you to stand strong, stay grounded, and bear fruit, even before you can see the outcome yet.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Dear Jesus, I confess I feel scattered these days. There’s so much going on - good and bad - that I feel like I’m on shaky ground, always questioning my next step, wondering if I’m doing the right thing, struggling with my emotions, just not feeling grounded and secure. I feel like my faith is not where it should be. Please fill me with peace. Fuel my faith. Pull me into Your Word where I can find the foundation I need to be strong. In Your name I pray, Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
Make a five-minute commitment to yourself that, starting tomorrow morning, every morning you wake up, the first thing you will do is say a quick prayer to ask God to be the foundation of your life and to give you strength for whatever the day or the new season holds.
During those five minutes, read a quick devotional or passage from God’s Word. Tuck those words into your heart to carry through each day, or write them in your journal or on a sticky note to place on your mirror or your fridge.
Before you doze off, make a point to list at least three blessings from your day, or three blessings you can focus on tomorrow if you’re facing a new or hard season. Gratitude can always help faith truly take root and calm the chaos in our minds.
If you’ve felt ready to share the story God has written in your life, but you've been feeling scattered about your next step of faith and are ready to root yourself in a clear, steady plan instead, Tracie’s next cohort of The Writers Blueprint begins September 14th. Enrollment is open, spots are limited, and this could be the season your roots finally go deep.
You can also sign up for her FREE workshop, The 3 Keys to Finally Write the Book God Put on Your Heart, taking place tomorrow, September 2nd at 7pm ET. Get all the details and sign up today!
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Related Resource: Praying Through Psalm 68: When God is Bigger Than Your Problems!
What happens when the giants you are facing—whether overwhelmingly massive or seemingly insignificant—trick you into believing God doesn't care about your daily struggles?
Join Jaime on the Praying Christian Women Podcast for an inspiring devotional on Psalm 68, a triumphant and powerful psalm that celebrates the unmatched bigness of God and reminds us that no earthly enemy or obstacle stands a chance against Him. If this episode helps you connect with God through prayer, be sure to follow Praying Christian Women on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
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