To Prioritize Margin and Rest
Lord God,
In a culture that celebrates busyness as a badge of honor, it isn’t always easy to configure rest and margin into our schedules. We let the fear of being considered lazy or being perceived as not hardworking push us beyond our limits. But you created us to need rest – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. You modeled it by resting on the seventh day after creation. Even Jesus prioritized prayer and alone time throughout his ministry. Guard us from consistently putting off rest and downtime until “later.” Help us instead to view it as an essential part of our calling, enabling us to serve you and others more fully. Reassure us that you have already completed the work of our salvation in its entirety, relieving us from that burden and freeing us to enjoy your gift of rest and recovery.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.