Prayer for those who are tired of holding on to everything
Written by Rachel Wojo
Bible reading:
“For everything there is a time and a season for every activity under heaven; a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 NIV
Listen or read below:
Years and months that I will never forget. May 2009 is mine. In the same 30 days, I had a newborn, a high school graduate, and a husband with a master’s degree. I was running on caffeine and Grace, and some days I wasn’t sure which was doing more work.
On the day of the joint graduation party, I was standing in the kitchen surrounded by food I had prepared and relatives who had come to celebrate. My sister-in-law held my sweet baby Tara. I was grateful that the party didn’t change my newborn’s schedule. At one point I stopped moving and just stood there. I remember thinking something close to prayer. “Lord, thank you for enough energy today.”
I hadn’t thought about the week. Last month I couldn’t understand it at all. That was the only day I was grateful.
Later that night, when everyone left and the house was quiet again, I sat and felt like the whole month had come to an end all at once. A sense of relief flooded my heart, but also a beautiful joy that I had done everything I could to get through it.
If that’s what your May looks like, you already know what I mean. Calendars can quickly fill up with graduations, weddings, showers, year-end events, and more.
Many of us are familiar with Solomon’s famous Ecclesiastes 3 passage, but he wrote this book from the other side of a life that at one point had demanded everything from him. He had already built cities and ruled kingdoms. He was burying his loved ones. When he writes that there is an appointed time for every activity under heaven, he is not offering comfort from afar. He was writing from within.
The word translated “time” in verse 1 is the Hebrew word es. It means a promised time, something set in advance and known. Time of birth. It’s time to plant. Time to dance. Everything has a designated entry, or at least a timeslot, on the calendar.
The season you are in is no surprise to God. He saw the stacked calendars, the short nights, the food you prepared, and the people you hosted. He saw what it cost you. And God set up this season knowing exactly what was needed.
It also means that God has ordained the end.
I am also remembering this as I write this. The fatigue you’re feeling right now isn’t a sign that something is wrong. Some seasons are just full.
My friend, remember that God is still in control and will guide you to the end.
Would you like to pray together?
Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father,
Today I come to you exhausted. What fills my days isn’t a bad thing. Some of them I prayed for and You were kind enough to give them to me. But I’m tired and most of the words I can find now are words I whispered at a graduation party years ago. “Thank you enough for today.”
Help me to believe that You saw this season before I lived it. You set it in place and set its limits. When I feel like I can keep everything going, just remember that you are protecting me. When the house is finally quiet and I sit and feel it all at once, let it be a moment to rest in you instead of just falling down.
I’m grateful when the seasons change. Thank you for setting a time for rest and a time for dancing. Help us to keep moving forward with open arms on this day or until the season changes.
In the name of Jesus, amen.
If you’re looking for a place to lead your weary heart to God and anchor it in His promises, my prayer journal, Praying God’s Promises: A 52-Week Guided Diary, was created for seasons like these. Find it at Promisesprayerjournal.com. Until next time, remember. God sees you, hears your voice, and knows your needs.
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Photo credit: ©Getty Images/KatarzynaBialasiewicz
Rachel Wojo is an inspirational author, speaker, and podcaster known for her popular blog rachelwojo.com. Through her Biblical approach and personal life experience, Rachel empowers women to find strength and hope in everyday situations. Despite enduring the loss of her mother, her special needs adult daughter, and her father, Rachel remains resilient. She is the author of the uplifting book Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life’s Darkest Moments and a beautiful new spiral-bound prayer journal, Praying for God’s Promises. Rachel is crazy about her husband, Matt, and cherishes motherhood with six children on earth and two in heaven.
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