Peace Before a Full Week - Your Nightly Prayer - August 3
Peace Before a Full Week
Your Nightly Prayer
TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE
“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” Isaiah 40:11
SOMETHING TO PONDER
A full week is ahead, and I’m assuming your to-do lists are overflowing. Maybe you are planning to fit in one last summer hoorah, start the back-to-school supplies shopping, or perhaps stare down a week of meetings, appointments, and deadlines. Before we get swept up in the busy and devise a plan for the week ahead, let’s pause tonight and draw close to the One who sustains.
Our scripture tonight reminds us that God is our Good Shepherd. He isn’t a distant God who occasionally glances over at our lives to check in. Psalm 121:5 says, “The Lord watches over you.” His eyes are always on you, and like a tender shepherd caring for his sheep, God carries you close to his heart. What comfort to know I’m not being dragged unwillingly behind a harsh leader or aimlessly following a cold and distant God. No! Instead, I am carried close to His heart. What a tender image. Pause here to breathe in that image and exhale any doubt or distance.
How can we best prepare for the week ahead? The world would say to prepare by taking control, do more, and working until you are weary. The Shepherd says, “Come close.” Tonight, let’s do just that. Repeat these prayers after me and after each sentence, imagine yourself taking a step closer to God and His outstretched hand to you.
Tonight, I come close to you, and I surrender the outcome of the week ahead.
Lord, I am after your heart, not just your providing hand.
I pray for wisdom and understanding as I encounter all you have for me.
If worry tries to steal my peace, remind me to let go and replace fear with prayer.
I do not know what tomorrow will bring, but I know you hold it and will equip me for what is to come.
Thank you, Father, for watching over me and carrying me close to you.
You are my safe place, and tonight, I rest in your care.
As you go about your week, remember prayer is our gateway to walking closely with Him. Talk to Him, praise Him, acknowledge Him, and trust Him. When you are tired and weary, visualize Christ carrying you close to His heart. There’s nothing, absolutely nothing, that can separate you from the Father’s love (Romans 8:38-39). When the enemy starts to attack, remind yourself, “I am a child of God” (Galatians 3:26). Finally, accept His tenderness towards you, His beloved, before the pace of the week and the coming season pick up. You are so dearly loved!
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Lord,
Thank you for carrying me. I strive, try, and do all I can to realize that I’ve been doing it in my own strength and with very limited energy. I pray for wisdom and discernment as I choose what deserves time and attention. I pray for your strength to fulfill my God-given assignments and to do them well. Help me, Lord, to see myself and my week ahead through your eyes and bring you honor and glory. I love you, God, and I am so incredibly grateful for all of my blessings. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
Tender is one word to describe God. In your own words, list three other words that personally account for your relationship to the Good Shepherd.
Whereas the world commands, “Take control”, God says, “Come close.” How does that look for you this week?
As you imagine the Lord carrying you close to His heart, pause to hear his voice. What is He saying to you tonight?
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit:©GettyImages/ibrahim eraslan
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