Scripture Focus
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8 – 11 https://my.bible.com/bible/111/EXO.20.8-11
What is the Sabbath? The Sabbath is a day of rest. What does it mean to have a day of rest? To refrain from from work, both physical and mental. The purpose of the Sabbath was for us to rest. God himself set the example of rest. He rested on the seventh day after creation was completed. Rest is not something that we can ignore as human beings. We need time to recover from everyday life and refresh our souls.
In our current culture, no one is willing to take time from their jobs and their lifestyle to ever rest. We are constantly running on a hamster wheel doing one thing after another. It is no wonder that we are so tired, weary, and (often) sick. Although many of us may not be able to take Sunday off, the heart of the Sabbath is to take a day of rest. The Sabbath is a day of reflection, a day of meditation in God’s Word, and a day to refrain from work. A Sabbath also gives us time to connect with our families.
It takes intentional planning and preparation to have a Sabbath. God is encouraging his people to take a Sabbath. What does this mean practically? It may mean taking things out of your life that are unfruitful. What is something unfruitful? Unfruitful things make your life unproductive and difficult.
There are different things that are unfruitful. Some examples can include:
Unfruitful relationships (especially with family members and friends) can be difficult to manage.
Pursuit of material possessions – difficult to live on a budget with a materialistic mindset.
Pursuit of a position or title – often leads to no work/rest balance, makes it difficult to set apart time for a Sabbath if you are working 24/7/365 (the grind mentality).
The above examples are just a few of the things that may be unfruitful in one’s life. What is unfruitful in your life? You will need to spend time with God to determine what is unfruitful. Once you know what is unfruitful, ask God to help you make the changes that need to be made. You may not like the changes, but having a Sabbath will allow you to rest and refresh your body, mind and spirit.
The most important thing during the Sabbath is to spend time with the Lord. Spend time praying about the concerns you have for others and yourself. You can even journal your prayers to God and journal His responses back to you. Spend time reading the Bible and writing notes on the things that you learn from reading. Listen to some worship music. Watch an online church service for encouragement. It is very rare to find anyone observing the spirit and intent of the Sabbath day, a day for rest and re-connection with our God.
God desires that we have a Sabbath. Take a day of rest each week to observe the intent of the Sabbath. You will find that your relationship with God will grow and you will find yourself refreshed.
Let’s pray together in agreement:
Heavenly Father,
We thank you for Your Amazing Grace and forgiveness of sins. We thank you for giving us rest for our weary souls during this difficult time. Teach us to rest in You, to take a Sabbath like you have commanded. Show us how to arrange our lives and schedules so we can have a day of rest to spend time with You and be refreshed. We pray for Your Grace and Peace during these difficult times. Heal those who are sick and protect those who are not sick. Comfort those who have lost loved ones. We surrender all our burdens and prayer requests to You.
We ask all these things in Jesus name.
Amen
If anyone has not received Jesus as their Lord and Savior and wishes to do so, please say the prayer below:
Heavenly Father,
Please forgive me for my sins.
I invite you Jesus into my heart as my Lord and Savior.
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Help me to follow You.
I ask this in Jesus name.
Amen
Please feel free to email me with any prayer request at Hisdaughter@convowithgod.com
Prayer request are always confidential.
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