Rest is good. We’re taking a break from producing content over the summer. Enjoy this previously produced pattern and meditation.
With all the noise in the world, do you hear the voice of God? Your calendar tells you what to do, but do you remember who you are? Being comes before doing. This is a call to put first things first. Return to the Lord with this daily pattern of prayer and devotion. Set aside this time as a sanctuary. Find a space free of distraction and follow this pattern.
Invocation
Making the sign of the cross, I say,
O God, I am restless until I find my rest in you. I cease from my work today, and I praise you for all your work. This day of rest is set apart by the name of the Father, and the of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
I invite my Lord,
Lord, I live in a dry and weary land. How will I make it through the day? But I know that you are “living water.” You fill me and satisfy me. Grow my roots deep; produce fruit through me so that you get glory. Amen.
Confession
I submit myself to examination before God.
1st BE SILENT: I am in the presence of the living God. Be silent. (silence for reflection)
2nd EXAMINE: Am I willing to commit myself wholly to God? Am I willing to break every sin I am aware of? Will I give up everything that contradicts what God wants for me?
3rd PRAY: Lord, I release the tight fist of my grip. I yield to your way. Let the breath of your Spirit move me where you will, even if I don’t want to go. Lord, my hands are empty. What do you want for me? What is your will? Whatever you want, I will obey.
Word: Psalm 1:1-3
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
Meditation
“She is so generous. I’ve never met anyone like her.” “How is he so joyful with all that he’s been through?” “She is filled with such hope. Where does it come from?”
Psalm one describes a person who is like a tree in the desert. They stand out in a weary land. On the surface of the landscape, it’s dry and dusty. There is no life in the deadly desert. But then you see a green tree. And it even produces fruit. How?
The tree has a hidden source. There is a stream of water, a spring that nourishes the roots under the ground. Above the surface conditions may be fatal, but under the surface there is secret irrigation.
How will you make it through a dry and weary land? The “law of the LORD,” his very Word, has power to sustain you. Jesus himself is your “living water.” Fear not. He will always supply what you need. He is your hidden Source. You are a tree planted by streams of water, always green and bearing fruit.
Prayer for Rest
- For physical, mental, and emotional health.
- For times of joy, delight, and leisure.
- For a Sabbath day free from work, tasks, and stress.
- For a holy time of worship.
Prayer
O Creator of heaven and earth, you have made for us a day of rest. You give me times of work and times to cease from that work. Grant me good rest today that I may serve you with vigor tomorrow. Free me from obsessive overwork. I trust you enough to believe that you provide for me even when I sleep. I find my rest in you. In Christ’s name, Amen.