5 Daily Prayers to Stay Spiritually Strong through the Busy Summer Months

During the summer months, it is vitally important for us to take time for rest and comfort. Although many Christians have odd views on rest, it is something that we must all do. Rest goes beyond getting a good night’s sleep; it also entails physical, emotional, and mental rest. God did not create us to be robots who are always productive. Instead, He created us as humans, and we need our rest.

The Lord tells us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). As Jesus states in this passage, we can come to Him with our weary and burdened hearts. He will give us the rest that we need and bring hope back into our bones. All we have to do is go to Him in prayer and ask for His rest and comfort. 

“Dear Jesus, I pray today that You bless me with Your rest and comfort. I have struggled in the past with taking time to rest. Please help me to know that resting is not bad, as it is actually something that is needed. I’m coming to You and I will receive Your rest. You are gentle and humble in heart, and I will find rest for my soul in Your love. Thank You, Lord, for Your rest and comfort. Amen.”

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Due to the unrealistic standards in the world, it is not surprising that most of us struggle with maintaining a good body image over the summer months. The warmer weather causes us to not be able to hide under coats and jackets, which can make our body image even worse if we are already struggling. When we are feeling self-conscious, we need to lean on God and see what He says about us. The more we focus on what He says about us, the less we will be tempted to think negatively of ourselves.

The Bible tells us, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14). David is the author of this passage; however, he was carried along by the Holy Spirit as he wrote (2 Peter 1:21). This means that what David wrote was fully inspired by God and He wants us to know that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. All of God’s works are wonderful, and this includes us.

Although it may be challenging at times to say anything nice about our appearance, we must remember that God did not make a mistake when He created us. It is also important to remember that we are more than our bodies. We don’t need to define ourselves or others based on appearance. All people are made in the image of God and all are wonderfully made, including you (Genesis 1:27). 

“Dear Jesus, please help me to see myself as You do. There are some days during the summer months when I cannot stand my reflection. Please help me to be kinder to myself and to know that my worth is not found in my appearance, weight, or size. Help me to remember what You say about me this summer and to finally be at peace with my body. In Your Name, I pray, Amen.” 

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The busy months of summer can also lead us to become distracted from Jesus. Rather than taking time to read the Bible and talk with Him in prayer, our minds are focused on other things. Even good things, such as garage sales, cookouts, or summer church meetups, can distract us from Jesus. While the Lord does not command us to give up all these things, He does want us to stay focused on Him and ensure He is the top priority of our lives. 

The writer of Hebrews instructs us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Rather than focusing on the things of this world, stressors of daily life, or even church events, we need to keep our eyes focused on the Lord.

“Dear Jesus, I have not remained focused on You during the summer months in the past, and I ask for Your forgiveness. Please help me to stay focused on You during the busy summer months as well as during every other season of the year. I want to ensure nothing distracts me from You, even good things. I praise You, Lord. Amen.” 

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The Apostle Paul tells us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). It can be easy to grow weary and lose heart during the summer months, especially if we are overwhelmed. While it is true that we can get overwhelmed in any season, summer has a way of making us get a bit more irritable and short-tempered. This could be due to the weather being warmer, but it doesn’t give us the excuse to become angry. 

When we grow weary and lose heart, we need to remember who we belong to: Jesus. By remembering this, we will be able to stay steadfast over the summer. Our spiritual health will begin to soar, and we will be more focused on the Lord. We might continue to struggle at some point, but the Lord will help us stay strong. He will equip our hearts and minds with the strength to carry on through the busy summer months. 

“Dear Jesus, I need Your help in staying spiritually strong through the busy summer months. I am prone to grow weary and lose heart when times are hard. Please help me not to give in to fear or worry but rather to fully trust in You. I already trust You with my salvation; please help me to trust You with these busy summer months as well. Thank You, Lord. Amen.” 

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We cannot stay spiritually strong through the busy summer months unless we are intentionally trying to grow spiritually. For example, if we toss Bible reading and daily prayers to the wind, we will not stay spiritually strong, nor will we grow. In order to grow spiritually and to maintain our spiritual strength, we need to be actively praying, reading the Bible, and applying the teachings of the Bible into our lives. As the Apostle James says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). 

As believers, we can grow spiritually by following the Lord and truly working on our relationship with Him. Even throughout the busy summer months, we need to carve out time to spend with Jesus and study His Word. The days might be busy, but a 15-minute break to pray and read the Bible doesn’t take too long at all. As it is with anything we truly want to do, we will make time for it.

“Dear Jesus, please help me to grow spiritually this summer. Despite the busy months ahead of me, I want to grow spiritually and to be the person You created me to be. I know You can do all things, and You can give spiritual strength back into my soul. Although I am weak, You are so strong. I praise You, Jesus. Amen.”

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