Prayer to bring daylight saving time forward
Written by Lynette Kittle
Bible reading:
“Then the sun and the moon stood still until the nation took revenge on its enemies, as it is written in the book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed setting about a full day.” – Joshua 10:13
Listen or read below:
No matter how hard we try, we cannot stop time, but God can and once did His purposes. Although we do not have the power to stop time, we strive to manage it, especially through practices such as daylight saving time.
Still, in today’s already full and fast-paced life, time changes are rarely commonplace. Still, that hasn’t stopped our culture from adjusting our clocks every year to manage daylight and achieve certain goals. For many individuals and families, these changes are greeted with frustration because they disrupt sleep patterns and disrupt carefully planned routines around work, school, activities, exercise, and more.
Time to enjoy everything under the sun
Daylight saving time is a reminder that changes in seasons and schedules have long been part of both history and modern life. As Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reveals to us, the Bible also speaks about God and sets specific times for all things.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.
At birth and at death,
There is a time to plant, a time to uproot,
There is time to kill time, there is time to heal,
There are times to tear down and times to build.There are times to cry, times to laugh,
There are times to mourn and times to dance,
Sometimes we scatter stones, sometimes we collect stones,
When to hug and when to refrain from hugging,
There are times when I search, and times when I give up.There are times to protect and times to throw away,
There is a time to tear it down, a time to repair it,
There are times to be silent, and times to speak.
Sometimes I love, sometimes I hate,
It’s a time of war and a time of peace. ”
God set a time to accomplish His will
Changes in the times are also designed to accomplish God’s will in our lives. Still, for most of us, change is difficult. That’s why we need God’s help when we need to make adjustments, such as daylight saving time.
Ecclesiastes 3:9-14 further explains God’s timing.
“What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burdens that God has placed on mankind. He has made everything beautiful for its time. God has also set eternity in the hearts of men, but no one can understand from beginning to end what God has done. I know that there is nothing good in it, that every man may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his labors; I know that all that God does endures; nothing can be added to it, nor can he take anything away from it, so that men may fear him.
God’s timing works in our favor to make our lives beautiful, to help us enjoy and find satisfaction in work and life, and to fear God in godly ways that accomplish His will and bring glory to His name.
Let’s pray:
Dear father,
Thank you for setting eternity in our human hearts and making everything beautiful in its own time.
This year, please help us promote daylight saving time in a way that everyone is happy with. Try not to complain verbally, and don’t let resentment or bitterness build up over having to adjust your schedule.
Dear Lord, fill our hearts with gratitude for the gift You have given us to find satisfaction in our daily labors. Help us to recognize Your hand in everything we do.
Direct our steps at the pace of Your timing so that we do not miss a step and accomplish Your purpose in our lives for Your glory.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
Share your thoughts on today’s devotion in the Daily Prayer discussion in the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Malvestida-Magazine
Lynette Kittle is married and has four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her work has been published in Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and elsewhere. She holds a master’s degree in communications from Regent University and is an associate producer at Soul Check TV.
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