A Prayer for Finding Balance in Life's Demands - Your Daily Prayer - September 9

A Prayer for Finding Balance in Lifes Demands
By Heidi Vegh

Bible Reading
“But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His Kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right attitude and character of God), and all these things will given to you also. - Matthew 6:33 (AMP)

Life can just be a lot. I would imagine that our world has just gotten busier and busier. In this technological age, there are a million and one activities for our children to be involved in, busy careers, school events, and unlimited access to information and opportunities. We are busy. A hundred years ago I would think that life was simpler in a lot of ways, in terms of business.

We are bombarded in our emails, social feeds, and internet searches for new books to read, new supplements to research, new courses to take, and new things to pursue. Life is busy, so how do we find a balance between all the things and rest? How do we create space to sit in silence when the world around us is so loud? As I prepare to write this article, I will ask the same questions. I want to know how to find balance.

The first thing that comes to mind is priorities. Where are your priorities? What is the first thing you do when you open your eyes in the morning? Is it grab your phone and scroll for messages and alerts or do you say good morning to God? Do you immediately jump in the shower or go for a run or do you ask God to be a part of your day? Do you scour your to-do list and immediately feel overwhelmed or do you surrender your day to God and ask Him to guide your steps? Do you read a Bible verse to start your day or read the latest breaking headline?

We are all immersed in a fallen broken world where it is easy to put the wrong things first. But it’s not too late to change that.

In Matthew 6:33 it tells us to “seek first the kingdom of God.” That means putting Him first. Put Him first before anything else. The best way to practice is first thing in the morning. This simple change could direct your days in many different ways. Instead of starting your day stressed and overwhelmed, you can dive into sweet and encouraging scripture that gives you a truth to hold onto and ponder throughout your day. This verse in Matthew also tells us that “all these things will be added unto you.” When you seek God first, things will fall into place. This doesn’t mean that trouble won’t befall you, but perhaps if you knew that God was directing your day, then you wouldn’t take detours so seriously. You can more easily trust that it is God’s plan that you took a wrong turn or that your dinner plans were canceled. You can make light of disruptions when you know that God is behind it all.

This requires full surrender, but think of the weight it could lift off your days to help you find balance. You can listen to the Lord when you feel overwhelmed with tasks. You can take a small moment to ask Him to guide you to the next right thing. Sometimes, his answer may be to take a nap instead of catching up on the pile of mail on the kitchen counter or call a friend instead of cleaning the bathroom. This view can help you balance out all the to-do’s and the rest that we all so desperately need.

Let’s pray:

Lord, life is busy and overwhelming, and I need balance. I don’t like feeling lost in all the activity and not having any time for you or rest. I am running on empty and need you to replenish my soul. I need you to remind me in the mornings to start my day with you. I need your Holy Spirit nudge to bring me back to you. I want my days to be directed by you but I know that means surrender and giving up my ideals for how things should go. I need to be ok with holy interruptions to make room for what you have for me. Show me how to find balance in my daily life. Show me things I need to say no to, things I need to lay down, and the things I need to pick up.

I need your guidance in truth in everything that I do. Help me to remember to pray before decisions, big and small. Help me recognize when I have said yes too much and how to let things go. I want a healthy balance of work and rest, but I know the only way to find that is in you and your precious guidance. Thank you, Jesus, that you care about all the things in my life, big and small. Show me how to make room for you in my life because I know when you are my priority, you will order my days the way that you want them, and I won’t be overwhelmed with trying to make it all work in my power. Thank you for your deep love for me, thank you for caring about every detail of my life, and thank you for the perfect guidance and truth that I only need to grab onto.
In your precious name, I pray, amen.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Delmaine Donson

Heidi Vegh is a writer, speaker, and ministry leader living in Western Washington. She is a remarried mother of four, navigating the blended family life after the loss of her first husband to cancer in 2013. She longs to use her writing as a way to encourage others who have experienced loss and guide them on the road to healing. She contributes to her blog found at www.mrsheidivegh.com , sharing stories and devotionals of faith stemming from her loss and healing, mothering, and her blended and complex family. She graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in Creative Writing and English and is working on her first book. Heidi is the Women’s Ministry Director at her local church and has a deep heart for sharing Jesus with women and encouraging them in their faith walk. When she is not writing, she loves to travel, read, craft, and experiment in the kitchen. Visit her Facebook and Instagram (@mrsheidivegh) to learn more.

Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.

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