Have you ever fallen asleep during prayer time? Or have you ever been intent on praying and, suddenly, you are distracted by something and you feel guilty because you lost your train of thought? Maybe you even thought that God would be disappointed in you or that you let God down… I’ve been there and so have a number of people I speak with. You should know by now that I have a story about this issue.
Back when Janet, the kids and I moved to Carmel, IN back in the fall of 1982, we lived next door to a wonderful couple, John and Carolyn. John had a very good job in the secular world but he was also a pastor/teacher and well versed in the Bible. He had an uncanny ability with the original languages and never in my wildest imagination did I ever think that I would ever be able to speak on a theological level with John.
He was my first biblical mentor here in Indiana and we often talked about religion, prayer, our jobs, our families and we even played racquetball together. I learned quite a bit from John and he was a willing teacher. He was on fire for the Lord. In fact, he gave me an NIV version Bible, the first time that I had heard of the NIV. He inscribed it to me and to this day, it is this Bible that I have taken notes in for more than 25 years and that I use when teaching in the field or in our own home with our longstanding group of people who are growing old together studying God’s word. We have been together since the turn of this century.
Anyway, I was embarrassed about one of my prayer habits. Back in the day, I would think about praying and then half the time, I would fall asleep during my prayer time. After all, I was building a business, things were financially tight and we had three small children at home. There was a ton of stress in our lives. Janet and I hardly had any margin and we were still rather new to Indiana. It was a lonely time for our family, having been separated from parents and siblings who were still all in the Chicago area. On top of that, the kids missed their grandparents and we looked forward to every trip back “home.”
One day, John and I were together and the subject of prayer came up. I finally screwed up my courage and confessed my problem with staying awake during prayer. Or… there were times that I was distracted and felt guilty that I was disappointing God. How in the world would God judge me for falling asleep as I am supposed to be communing with the Creator of everything? How could that not keep me focused on Him?
John was kind and understanding as he explained things to me – things that have changed the way I view prayer time now. He explained that we all have distractions in this ever changing, stressful world. We get pulled in many different directions as parents, breadwinners, volunteeers, employees, spouses and just about every other category you can think of. It’s difficult to keep everything sorted out and still have time for yourself. He told me that when we finally get around to pray, we feel safe and secure in the “arms” of God. That safe space allows us the freedom to just let go and relax in the moment. That’s something that we are afraid to do at our jobs or when we are busy with other things. Sometimes, that leads to falling asleep or just being distracted.
I looked at this as a sign of disrespecting God but John saw it as something completely different. He asked me where in the world could we feel safer than being in the arms of God? We all need that place where we have trust, calm, rest and renewal. My own father had already died but I could make the connection that depending on the Father was something I needed. Now, I still relax during communion with God and consider it a blessing if I happen to fall asleep in the process. After all, God will wake me in the watches of the night if he wants to speak with me.
Our verse for tonight is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew shares with us the words of Jesus Himself when Jesus tells us, in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
That’s what this is all about – rest for our souls. And resting in the arms of God is the greatest rest we can ever have! My encouragement this evening is that God wants us to bring our issues to Him and to find comfort in Him. Rest is a form of peace – and trust. My prayer is that you will always rest in the arms of God and that you will be okay with that! No guilt, remorse or disrespect. God knows our every need – including rest for our souls. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…