Why You Need to Find Rest in God’s Presence

God’s presence is the only thing we need to make us feel whole and fulfilled. His presence is more than enough. Often, we get so caught up in juggling our careers, family and social life and try so desperately to keep on top of everything, that these things can actually start to pull us away from God. When you find yourself exhausted, wound up and stressed from life, this should tell you that you need to get closer to God and schedule in more time to be in His presence.

The answer to feeling restored, joyful and full of peace isn’t found at the end of a self-help book or at a relaxing holiday resort. Only the presence of God can give you what you need. Commit yourself to the Lord, seek Him with all your heart and set aside time to be with Him every day. Let go of the things you “should” be doing and focus on resting in the arms of God. His strength, peace and anointing will equip you to handle everything in your life, but first you have to fill your cup by spending time with Him.

Seek God with All Your Heart

Deuteronomy 4:29

But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.

If we aren’t careful, the enemy can use the blessings we’ve received from God, like our jobs, family, or household chores, to distract us and take our focus away from seeking the Lord. If the enemy can’t get a stronghold over you, the next best thing is to distract you and keep you so busy that you forget to give thanks to God, or feel too busy for quiet time with Him.

We need to seek God with all our hearts and yearn for him the same way a deer pants for streams of water, as Psalm 42:1 so beautifully puts it. God is our living water and our souls need time in His presence. It’s so important to quiet the distractions, be still and seek God above all. He will guide your steps and He will give you the strength you need to do whatever He has called you to do, but first you need to seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.

Put God First in Your Life

Proverbs 3:6

In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

God’s Word tells us to put Him first in our lives. It is a clear instruction telling us to make sure He is our first priority. The world will tell you that to get ahead, you need to put your career ahead of everything. We have created a system of overworking and finding our value and purpose from work. Our schedules are crammed full of work and life commitments and, whatever little time and energy we have left at the end of a long day, is allocated to spending time with The Lord, but this is the complete opposite of what God asks of us. No wonder we feel out of control and overwhelmed!

When you make God first in your life and prioritise time with Him, He guides you and blesses you with success. Examine your schedule and start saying no to things that God isn’t asking you to do. Create time and space in your life to make God first priority. Instead of waking up earlier to fit in some more work emails, spend that time with The Lord to start your day with Him. Doing this will help you get through the day stronger and wiser, and with a lot more grace.

God Will Give You Rest

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

When you feel the weight is too heavy to carry and you’re too exhausted to carry on, Jesus calls you to turn to Him and He promises to give you rest. The more time you spend with Jesus, the lighter your load will feel. In our minds, this doesn’t seem to make sense. After all, there’s a long list of things to tick off that to-do list and time is ticking away as it is! This is exactly why we need to examine our lives and be intentional about what we’re spending our valuable time on. Give God first place and make time to be in His presence. Fall at the feet of Jesus and He will lift you up and give you the rest you need.

A Peace That Surpasses Understanding

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When the enemy tries to attack you with feelings of fear, anxiety or heaviness, turn to God in prayer. Tell Him what you’re going through, ask Him to help you and lay it all at His feet. Thank Him for His goodness and love and trust Him to take care of you. If you do this, He will give you His supernatural peace in the middle of the storms of life. It won’t make sense to you or those around you, but when you know and trust that God will take care of you and work all things for your good, you’ll experience a peace in your life that surpasses all understanding.

Trust God and Let Go of the Control

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

In this scripture, God is instructing us to give Him every fear, burden and worry that we’re holding on to. For a lot of us, holding on tightly to control and having an action plan helps us handle the anxieties and fears of life, but there is a better way. In fact, the only way to truly have freedom from anxiety and fear is to trust God and cast your cares at His feet. He is the Creator of the Universe – surely, He can handle our worries and work things out better than we ever could! Let go of trying to work out every little detail and stop trying to grab the pen out of God’s hand, He is the author of your life and He has a beautiful story of love, joy, peace and victory written just for you!

Pray and Journal When You Feel Overwhelmed

Spending time in prayer and speaking to God is the best remedy to a bad day. Put on some worship music, grab a hot cup of coffee and get real and honest with the Lord by praying or journalling in your prayer book. God loves you and he cares about every detail of your life. Nothing is too big, or too small, to talk to Him about. He wants to speak to you and have a close relationship with you as His child.

Just as an earthly parent wants to take care of their children, God wants to take care of you as your Heavenly Father. He has you and He will never fail you. Next time you’re tempted to call a loved one to vent about your situation, first take it to God. Make Him the one you turn to first, before you seek advice or comfort from anyone else. He knows how to take care of you and if you will listen for His voice, He will help you, direct your steps and be a light to your path.

In Luke 10: 38 – 42, Jesus visited the home of Mary and her sister, Martha. Mary chose to stop what she was doing and spend time with Jesus, but Martha rushed around, distracted by her responsibilities. She was so flustered and frustrated that she said to Jesus, “Lord, is it of no concern to You that my sister has left me to do the serving alone? Tell her to help me and do her part.” The reply Jesus gave her really puts things into perspective. He said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered and anxious about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part [that which is to her advantage], which will not be taken away from her.” Jesus was telling her that she was missing the beautiful experience that was right in front of her, by getting distracted by the things she thought she should have been doing instead. Follow the example of Mary and focus on spending time with Our Lord.

Life, and all the responsibilities that come with it, have a way of taking over and causing us to lose balance. Without the balance of a Godly life, it’s easy to feel burnt-out, stressed and overwhelmed. Stop trying to fix everything by yourself and let God help you find balance again. If you will make an effort to turn down the noise of the distractions of life and make time to be still in the presence of God, He will give you rest, joy and peace. He is faithful and He is more than enough to help you live a victorious life. God is our source and in Him we will find everything we need.