Lord, my friend is choking on responsibilities. She is trying to do too much, to be all things to all people. I know this is not Your plan for her.
Because
she loves people and fears disappointing them, she says yes more than she says
no. Her schedule is crammed to bursting. Because she accomplishes tasks with
excellence, she’s a magnet to people who need things done.
And
all this responsibility is causing her light to dim.
She
was once so bright and eager to spend time with You, study Your life, tell
others about Your love. Then she started working for You. And working. And
working. The Devil knew he couldn’t tempt her with robbing jewelry stores or
murdering her neighbors, so he dangled the fruit of the business of the Lord in
front of her. He convinced her that to be a worthy Christian, she had to stay
busy, and that to say no was unholy.
Silence
his lies to her, Lord. Woo her back to the place of rest and sweet contentment
in Your presence, where the beam of Your smile is enough. Return the light to
her eyes and the spring to her step.
Please
help her find the balance You lived in when You walked on earth. You knew when
to say “Okay, I’ll do that,” and when to say “Not interested,” without worrying
what others might think of You. You were secure in the Father’s plan for You,
not needing to please others in order to feel that Your light was bright enough.
Teach
my friend Your ways, dear Lord. She doesn’t want to burn out; she wants to
sparkle and blaze with Your life, to do only those things You’ve called her to
do. Then, when You come to take her home, she’ll shine in heaven with You.
In
Jesus’ name, so be it.
References to Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11, John
6:38
The above is a sneak peek at my newest book, Touchable God: Finding the Lord's Friendship Through Prayer, which releases next month. It is a combination of personal stories about my prayer journey with Jesus and prayers for friends in crisis. Because this prayer applies to me right now, I will be taking a blogging break for a few weeks to catch my breath and promote Touchable God. See you in August!
Congratulations on your new book and thanks for sharing snippets!
ReplyDeleteI love this prayer. I can say, "'been there, done that." Sometimes, I found myself painted into the proverbial corner. I know your next few weeks are going to be busy. Remember, God is in control and will guide you through.
ReplyDeleteI love this prayer too! I have posted it on facebook to share. There was a time, when I was younger that I needed this kind of praying. Now that I am into dealing with depression, not so much. The only hope of depression recovery for me is to NOT get busy. Thus the writing! Perfect introverted activity. All the best on your new project.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this prayer on Facebook, WFB. I appreciate you!
DeleteJen
I can absolutely relate in this. I always seem to fet to busy & i always feel like no is the worse answer. May God bless you with more Stories & always remember god I s with you on your Journey to life.
ReplyDelete