How often do we come to a controlled, full stop? Or are we inwardly running all day until we fall asleep in exhaustion? Does that pattern continue until we are forced to stop because of illness or do we have a tantrum and quit everything without notice?

Christ invites us to rest. He says if we come to him He will give us rest.

So the question is, Do we truly come? 

Even 10 minutes of solitude and silence can slow down our bodies and nurture our souls if it is spent with Him. Here is one way to do it.

  • Find a comfortable, quiet place.
  • Set a gentle alarm for 10 minutes.
  • Close your eyes and invite the Holy Spirit to come.
  • Then just sit quietly with God . . . no agendas, no prayer requests, just availability to God.
  • When the time is over, try to gear back up gradually. Perhaps this is a good time for Bible reading, or for intercession.

When we start to pray, pressure may try to lure us back in. On one hand, God does invite us to pour out our hearts to Him regardless of what feelings may be. In fact, the first step of transformation is to honestly face what is really there.

On the other hand, I’ve realized I sometimes need to evaluate the tone of my prayers. Are they filled with anxiety and insistence? Or are they dominated by faith and hope? When I pray, who looks bigger . . . God or my problems?

It takes faith to rest. We have to believe God is able to get everything done. But if we learn to rest we will be surprised at the strength we receive. Isaiah says that those who wait on the Lord can later run without growing weary.

Do we truly come into Jesus’ presence? More often than not, we rush in and out; buzzing hurriedly around Him but not solidly connecting with Him. May we create rhythms where we regularly come to a full, controlled stop.