Heavenly Father, I praise You for being a God who is so familiar with us that You know what we need even before we request it. You understand our heart, nature, and physical body. You know what makes us strong and what makes us vulnerable. You created rest to restore and rekindle the body and soul. Let us be wise in our labor and wise in our downtime. Help me this morning to take command of my day and shake all the evil from it.
Your word says, “When he gives quietness, who then can make trouble.” “Except the Lord build the house, those who build labor in vain; except the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain for you to rise early, to stay up late, and not eat the bread of hard toil, for He gives sleep to His beloved.” “Yet even more so, His fame went everywhere. And great crowds came together to hear and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. But He withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.” [Job 34:29; Psalm 127:1&2; Luke 5:15&16] Help me to work hard, play hard but most of all get the right amount of rest so that I can be
recharged to not only do life but to enjoy it so that I can be fully ready to do my part in building Your kingdom here on the earth as it is in heaven.
Therefore, let me not sleep as others do. But let me be alert and sober. For those who sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But let me, who is of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed me to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for me, so that whether I am awake or asleep, I will live together with Him. So, I will comfort myself and edify my brothers and sisters. I will acknowledge those who labor around me, and/or are appointed over me in the Lord, and instruct me. I will esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among the members of the body of Christ. I have been exhorted to warn those who are unruly, comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, and be patient toward everyone. I will not render evil for evil to anyone. But always seek to do good to others. I will rejoice always. Pray
without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning me. I will not quench the Spirit. Nor will I despise prophecies. I will examine all things. Firmly hold onto what is good. Abstain from all appearances of evil. May the very God of peace sanctify me completely. And I pray to God that my whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. For I know that faithful is He who calls me, for He also will do it. Amen. 1 Thessalonians 5:6-24