Are You Burdened?
Have you ever just woke up in a bad mood or feeling sad? There isn’t an explanation for it, in fact things seem to be going okay, and then out of nowhere you feel like you are carrying the heaviest burden ever. You can’t shake it. You may say a quick prayer asking God to take it from you or maybe you try to push passed it and get on with your day. It doesn’t matter what you do the burden is still there. As the day goes on it gets heavier and heavier to the point you can’t function like you need to...productively.
When we are walking with God we have to remember that He deals with us in the spiritual as well as the physical. Things are not always as they seem and sometimes the burden isn’t for us it is for a friend or loved one. That is why the quick little prayer asking God to take it from us didn’t work because it isn’t about us...just the fact that God is using us to help out someone else in the moment.
I went into the church office the other day to take care of some paperwork. I was having one of those days where my spirit was heavy. I could not shake it and I was super busy so I kept putting prayer off until later. In the meantime I kept throwing out little prayers...Lord lift this burden...Lord help whoever needs help...Lord bring peace...Yada yada yada...all morning long. That, however, is not what God wanted from me. Finally, in the midst of my paperwork, I got up and went to the altar. (I know it’s convenient to have an altar at your job.) I sat in silence for a
moment and listened for the Lord to tell me who this burden was for. For once in the last few weeks I knew it wasn’t for me. I saw their face. I began to feel their pain. I started to weep. The weeping turned into sobs and the Holy Spirit took over. I’m not sure how long I was there but as long as God deemed necessary. It was heart wrenching. When it was over the burden was gone. My peace was completely restored and the rest of my day was as smooth as butter. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
Giving up that moment of time from my day to be obedient to God blessed me and I hope the person I was praying for much more than the time lost. God is looking for obedient servants. He is looking for someone to be His hands and feet. If you have prayed to be used by God and you meant it then you can expect He will answer that prayer. You must also know it will be in His timing and not when it is convenient for you. We should have a mindset that God’s work is never an inconvenience.
This was not the first time I suddenly became burdened in my spirit. There have been times where I have had to pull over on the side of the road while driving and pray. I have had to get up in the middle of the night and pray before I could fall back to sleep. Then there are the days where I was disobedient and didn’t listen to that still small voice...and you know what? The burden carried over into the next day. I’m learning to listen.
Isn’t this scripture though? Aren’t we supposed to carry one another’s burdens? Aren’t we supposed to love each other like ourselves? Aren’t we supposed to be praying and interceding for one another? I believe when we are obedient to the voice of the Lord we reap the benefits of scriptures like this: Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Interceding for someone is different than praying for God to change them into something you want them to be or think they should be. I feel lead to share this little disclaimer because I have run into a lot of that lately. People asking me to pray for God to “change” someone. This is another blog for another day. The type of praying for someone else I’m talking about right now is intercession. (see 1 Timothy 2:1) Where there is a need for healing, help, love, hurt and heartache. God says when we are weak He is strong. He uses us to intercede for others in their moments of weakness. We are the strength they need and what God can use to help them.
I want to encourage you to stop fighting the burden and find rest in it by praying. Don’t waste time carrying it around with you trying to find the perfect moment to stop what you are doing. If you are at work sneak off to the break room or restroom. If you are driving pull over...it can be dangerous to drive and get caught up in the Spirit. If you have screaming toddlers, put them in bed for a few minutes and go hide in the closet and pray. If you really want to God will show you the way. Lastly, consider it an honor, that God chose you out of all the people in the world to pray for His children.
When we are walking with God we have to remember that He deals with us in the spiritual as well as the physical. Things are not always as they seem and sometimes the burden isn’t for us it is for a friend or loved one. That is why the quick little prayer asking God to take it from us didn’t work because it isn’t about us...just the fact that God is using us to help out someone else in the moment.
I went into the church office the other day to take care of some paperwork. I was having one of those days where my spirit was heavy. I could not shake it and I was super busy so I kept putting prayer off until later. In the meantime I kept throwing out little prayers...Lord lift this burden...Lord help whoever needs help...Lord bring peace...Yada yada yada...all morning long. That, however, is not what God wanted from me. Finally, in the midst of my paperwork, I got up and went to the altar. (I know it’s convenient to have an altar at your job.) I sat in silence for a
Giving up that moment of time from my day to be obedient to God blessed me and I hope the person I was praying for much more than the time lost. God is looking for obedient servants. He is looking for someone to be His hands and feet. If you have prayed to be used by God and you meant it then you can expect He will answer that prayer. You must also know it will be in His timing and not when it is convenient for you. We should have a mindset that God’s work is never an inconvenience.
This was not the first time I suddenly became burdened in my spirit. There have been times where I have had to pull over on the side of the road while driving and pray. I have had to get up in the middle of the night and pray before I could fall back to sleep. Then there are the days where I was disobedient and didn’t listen to that still small voice...and you know what? The burden carried over into the next day. I’m learning to listen.
Isn’t this scripture though? Aren’t we supposed to carry one another’s burdens? Aren’t we supposed to love each other like ourselves? Aren’t we supposed to be praying and interceding for one another? I believe when we are obedient to the voice of the Lord we reap the benefits of scriptures like this: Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Interceding for someone is different than praying for God to change them into something you want them to be or think they should be. I feel lead to share this little disclaimer because I have run into a lot of that lately. People asking me to pray for God to “change” someone. This is another blog for another day. The type of praying for someone else I’m talking about right now is intercession. (see 1 Timothy 2:1) Where there is a need for healing, help, love, hurt and heartache. God says when we are weak He is strong. He uses us to intercede for others in their moments of weakness. We are the strength they need and what God can use to help them.
I want to encourage you to stop fighting the burden and find rest in it by praying. Don’t waste time carrying it around with you trying to find the perfect moment to stop what you are doing. If you are at work sneak off to the break room or restroom. If you are driving pull over...it can be dangerous to drive and get caught up in the Spirit. If you have screaming toddlers, put them in bed for a few minutes and go hide in the closet and pray. If you really want to God will show you the way. Lastly, consider it an honor, that God chose you out of all the people in the world to pray for His children.
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