Last week the Lean into Jesus Ministry team had the opportunity to spend an evening in prayer for our upcoming Worthy conference. It’s such a rare opportunity to disconnect from the world for a couple of hours and turn our hearts completely on God. As I was turning off the lights in the Sanctuary so that only the cross was illuminated and putting on the soft piano music a verse of scripture popped into my heart.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.” Isaiah 30:15
Sitting alone in the sanctuary, I was beginning to feel myself relax and realized how stressed and overwhelmed I had felt coming into this time of prayer. I began to meditate on this scripture. God told the Israelites that only when they returned to Him and rested in the truth that He was the Sovereign God, would they be saved. Their strength would be found in their quiet confidence that He would provide for all of their needs.
I started the process of returning to God by moving to the altar. As I knelt before the cross I began to confess to God my need to be in control and asked for forgiveness. When we forget that God is Sovereign our world becomes all about how we can make things work within our own strength and in our own time. Every time I have allowed this to happen I always get to the place that I was that night at church. Exhausted and overwhelmed. We work so hard to manipulate and control what God already has planned. That is not His will for us. That’s why it never feels right.
After some time at the altar, confessing and praying for conference and all the women that would be attending, I moved to have a seat in one of the pews. I started to focus on the second part of the scripture in Isaiah. “In quietness and confidence is your strength”. The sanctuary was so quiet. The only sound was of softly playing hymns and the pouring down rain outside. How rare are moments like this? I am single and it’s hard for me to even make time to be in the absolute quiet. No phones, no social media, no TV, no friends or family, just quiet with God. I can’t imagine how hard it is for all of you wives and mothers out there. God told them though, that their strength was going to come from their quiet confidence in Him. As I sat there in the quiet I began to just meditate on all the ways God had been faithful to me. Every little thing that I could come up with I made mention of in my heart. The longer I sat the stronger I felt. Not in myself, but in God’s ability to get me through any situation or circumstance.
I’ve been a follower of Christ for 20 years and it still amazes me when I find out through an encounter with Him, that His word is the absolute truth. The morning of this prayer vigil I had met one of my best friends and prayer warriors for breakfast. At the end of the meal, I broke down and told her that I could really use some extra prayers because I had been feeling so overwhelmed and anxious about even the smallest tasks. I told her that I felt like I was losing my way in ministry. She, of course, said that she would be praying and she knew that God had an amazing plan for my life. Little did I know that very evening God had a plan to meet with me and restore my strength. It came in quietness and rest.
Maybe you are in the exact same place today that I was that night. You are exhausted and overwhelmed with all of the many tasks you have to perform each day. Maybe you are feeling the weight of being responsible for other people’s spiritual walks because you are a leader in ministry. Please take Him at His word today. Make time to be quiet and rest in His truth. He is Sovereign, totally in control, so that you don’t have to be. He reminds us again of this in Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
As I left the church that night, I felt complete and satisfied. There is nothing that we need that can’t be found in His presence. I’m praying this morning that each of you would find your strength when you come to Him in quietness and rest.
April Brazelton
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#aprilbrazeltonblogs
