It’s the end of another long, demanding day, and my eyelids are drooping. The waking hours were delicately allocated, poured into the buckets of my life.
A little wisdom for my friends, wading the waters of warfare and assuming the tension was due to a lack of sleep.
A little extra hustle at work, to fill in the gaps from impromptu counseling convos and achieve the same professional output.
A little greater nurturing for my level-ten toddler, crying over a drop of milk on her hand. I set aside a half-eaten dinner to comfort her at bed time.

And then, friend, I sat down to write to you. Because you’re tired, too. You’re here because when I invited you to seek prayer for trust and provision this week, you said, “Yep, that’s me.”

I want to begin by THANKING you for the buckets you filled and carried today, too.
In case nobody else thought to say it. You’re intentional. You’re making a difference. Your time spent toiling is not in vain. God is just getting started, with you.

With that, I want us to pray a few specific things together this week, believing for His filling when we are at our most empty. You are welcome to pray this prayer, if it speaks to you, or take its bones and make it your own. Either way, I hope it refreshes you and leaves you with His peace. Let’s come to Him in:

GRATITUDE FOR HIS GIFTS

“Lord, tonight, I thank you for so many wonderful reasons to be tired. I thank you for the gifts of children you gave to me to raise. For stable employment or my current place and purpose. My worth is known and my strengths, exercised appropriately. For every ‘bucket’ that demands filling, you said, ‘I can trust her with this one.’

CONFESSION OF COLLAPSE

“God, I know these things are a gift, but even blessings can be heavy. I’m crushed under the weight of need, of performance— I don’t always do the best job sharing the load with you. Help me to lean on you when it all becomes too much. Help me to surrender what needs laying down. You will take better care of every part of my life than I could even care for one.

PETITION FOR PEACE

“What I need most is not the confidence that ‘I’ve got it,’ but your spirit speaking over me that whatever strength and obligations I’ve ‘got’ are  yours, not mine. Bring peace into my heart, that it would bleed into my life, my family, my hopes. Give me a new song to sing,  visions and dreams.

SUPPLICATION FOR YOUR SISTERS

“And finally, God, pour out your peace on my loved ones, too. I pray that my friends would know your love as I have. That you would restore to their minds, bodies and spirits that reset we so desperately crave. Lord, if her eyes closed before she managed to call on your name tonight, let me seek you on her behalf. These are suffocating times. Still, your grace is sufficient. Forgive us for our doubting and distraction, and fix our gaze on the beautiful rest found in you. Amen.”