Enter into the Rest of Jesus

Read:

Matthew 11:28–30 (MSG): “’Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.’”

Psalm 23 (NIV):
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for His Name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely Your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.”

Act:

Let us be determined this week to:

Allow our Shepherd to lead us beside still waters. In stillness, we hear God’s gentle voice and draw closer to His truth. By stepping away from the noise of this world, we create space to refocus our hearts and experience our Lord’s peace. Silence and solitude are not just pauses from the chaos but sacred invitations to encounter our Father’s presence and renew our spirits.

Rest in the green pastures God provides. Resting is an act of faith, declaring our trust in God’s provision and affirming that He is enough. True peace and security come not from our own efforts but from reliance on Him. Let us embrace rest as a reminder that our worth is rooted in Christ, not in our productivity or accomplishments.

Rejoice in the overflow of our Lord’s goodness. By slowing down, we can see God’s blessings clearly and cultivate hearts of gratitude. Rejoicing allows us to focus on His goodness and faithfulness, even amid life’s challenges, and opens our hearts to His abundant joy.

Walk without fear through life’s valleys. In life’s toughest moments, we find strength in God’s presence. Reflective prayer invites us to listen and open our hearts to Him, deepening our relationship with Him. It is in these moments of surrender that we discover our Lord’s guidance and where we find rest in His perfect peace.

Find strength in community and doing life together as His flock. God created us for community – to support, encourage and grow with one another. In fellowship, we embody His peace, share His love, and reflect His light to a world in need.

“Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6)

Pray:

Father, thank You that scattered throughout Your Word; You encourage us to rest in You, to lay down our stuff, to allow You to sort things out, and to acknowledge that we can’t do it by ourselves. Help us this week to begin to take that risk, and see You come through for us when we rest, when we lay ourselves down.  We pray this in Jesus’ name.

Oh Lord, You know how busy we so easily get, and we so easily find ourselves distracted and finding it hard to even pause to think. And Lord, we hear Your call; we hear Your encouragement to be like Jesus, who often withdrew to lonely places, to places of stillness and quietness to be with His Father. May we, Lord, be like Jesus. Help us, Lord, remind us to regularly find time to be still before You. And we pray this prayer in the name of Jesus.

Lord, guide us, lead us and teach us how to live a quiet life. We desperately long for Your way of living. We don’t want to struggle and try on our own anymore, Lord. Come and teach us Your way of living. Come and teach us to live out of a place of rest. We desperately desire this, Lord. Teach us to live a quiet life where we realise we cannot do everything. We need sometimes to pause, be still, and just spend time in Your presence.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus, through whom we find true rest. In this season of joy and busyness, help us to quiet our hearts and embrace the peace that You offer us. Teach us to walk in step with You, releasing our burdens and trusting in Your strength.

Thank You, Lord, for Your love that calms our storms. Thank You for the peace that guards our hearts and for Your rest that renews our souls. We choose to surrender everything into Your hands and rest in You.

Oh, gracious Lord. You are so patient with us. You long to give us that peace that passes all understanding. You desire that we would take Your yoke upon us so that we might have rest for our souls. Your desire for us is to live a calm and quiet life centred on You. Lord, may we live from that rest in You. Lord, we ask You would do whatever it takes to make us aware of Your presence and Your strength in our lives. May we quiet ourselves daily before You, Lord, following the example that You set before us?  May we realise that the key to Your obedience to the Father was spending quiet time with Him. Then, Lord Jesus, may we follow the pattern in our own lives. We join, Lord, with the shepherds in worshipping You! May we follow their example and tell everyone that we know the reason for the hope that we have… It’s  Jesus! In His precious name. Amen.

(This WRAP is with great appreciation to Herlu, Lucinda, Steve, Jen, Mary Lynn and Carli)

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