The Rat Race: The Relationship between Rest and Prayer

We are all constantly seeking. Constantly striving towards an ever elusive rest in any state or form.

The current world is awash with the desire to do and keep doing. It is incessant. It is glaring. It is tiring.

It almost feels as if this world is in constant motion and there is no time to just pause and be.

The Rat Race

With the screams of capitalism reaching a fever pitch and life’s natural demands bellowing, it takes supernatural grace to quieten our minds and more importantly, our souls.

There is a rise in the seeking of spiritual solutions for life as we know it. It is almost as if humankind has seen that all natural means ultimately fall short when it comes to offering deeper solutions to existential problems. They are right.

We ask, “How do I not just survive but thrive?” “How will my children live?” “Will there be an end to war and global distress?” “Who will watch over my loved ones when I go?”

Financial buttressing has seemingly rescued many people at first only for us later to hear stories of depressed and/or suicidal billionaires who sadly sometimes end their lives.

Community seems to help alleviate human distress until we see the dark side of humanity which reeks of greed, jealousy, malice, deceit and all sorts of monstrous attitudes.

We may go on and on with the various methods man has used over time to placate the state of affairs. Eventually, we all seem to agree on one thing: This life has constantly tried to redefine success and man has constantly raced to attain it. We are a weary lot which needs divine assistance.

Come To Me All Who Are Heavy Laden

I would consider myself moderately ambitious. I am neither too high up the ladder of ambition so as to forgo the wonder of human relation and God’s grace nor lowly in thought. I desire comfort and security (Don’t we all?).

However, on this side of eternity this come at a price. I need to have a financial plan stretching across decades. I need vision. I need structure. I need strategy. All this at the expense of relaxation, at times.

When I simmer down on some lazy nights, sometimes I think that social media can ease my joints. I scroll (ashamedly) endlessly until I realize that it’s done nothing for me but remind me of what I have not done and what I need to do. I would have left Social Media a while back but for evangelism and a good old trip down memory lane!

Matt 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.”

Here is an invite by our older brother, Jesus. He says, “I see you fighting fires and trying to calm storms. It’s tiring, I get it. So, come. I want to grant you rest. I have already done the work that takes eternity. I want to give you an easier burden to carry, much lighter than what you have over your shoulders.”

Christ gives a unique type of rest that we do not see anywhere else. He gives us rest for the soul.

Rest Redefined

I listened to a sermon by the late Tim Keller (bless his soul) and he says, (paraphrase) “You can never get rest for your body if you do not have rest for your soul”. I felt that deeply. He preached on the importance of rest in work and depending on our identity in Christ (The Lord of the Sabbath) to define our attitudes and patterns of work.

I think this mindset guides us even in the place of prayer. When we pray, we consciously remind ourselves that we have a Being greater than us who understands how we can best live our lives and who equips us for every good work. Through prayer, we tell God that we are limited in capacity in comparison to Him and He alone knows all the good plans He has for us and so in all things, we submit to Him.

Prayer is a form of rest for our souls. Rest from anxiety and worry, pain, regret, bitterness, unforgiveness, vain ambition and pride. Prayer informs our inner beings wisely.

Earnest prayer reminds us that God is indeed on the throne and that He alone knows all things. “The steering wheel is best with Him”, we say.

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.”

The Bible has a lot to say about prayer but from the context above, we are invited into the place of prayer at every opportunity. We are encouraged to present our petitions to our loving Father. In exchange, God offers to shield or protect our entire beings (minds and hearts) with PEACE.

Is peace not a form of rest? Soul’s rest? That even in the fiercest of trials, we know we are loved and covered and that we are equipped for every good work?

Is peace not a form of rest? Soul’s rest? That even in the fiercest of trials, we know we are loved and covered and that we are equipped for every good work?

How is it that after prayer we feel energized and ready to go, even if the petitions that led us there are not immediately answered? I’ll say this. That indeed God’s word has already been accomplished. He has granted his peace and rest as He works out His will for you in that instance and indeed in all things.

Friend, rest through prayer.