Bringing the weight of life into God’s presence instead of carrying it alone.
On My Heart in Prayer
Can I be transparent for a moment?
Sometimes I walk into my prayer closet ready to pray.
And sometimes I walk in there because I need somewhere to put everything down.
Lately, life has been full.
Not necessarily all bad–actually, some of it is really exciting. Between work, school, family, responsibilities and opportunities connected to my media journey, there have been moments when I’ve thought, Lord, I am grateful…but whew! This is A LOT. 
Then there are the other things.
The frustrations.
The people.
The situations I can’t control.
The conversations I replay in my head.
The decisions I’m trying to make.
The things I’m excited about and the things I’m nervous about–all existing in my mind at the exact same time.
And eventually, I reached a point where I just need to exhale.
For me, that place has become my prayer closet.
I don’t always walk in there with some beautifully organized prayer.
Sometimes I sit down with eyes full of tears and say:
“Okay, Lord…here I am.”
And then I give Him everything.
Today’s Scripture
“Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”–1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)
I’ve read this verse many times, but lately I’ve been paying attention to the reason Peter gives us for casting our anxieties on God:
Because He cares for you.
Those words mean something to me.
God isn’t annoyed by what I’m carrying.
He isn’t looking at me thinking, Here she comes with something else.
He cares.
About the big things.
About the little things.
About the things keeping me awake.
About the opportunities that excite me.
About the decisions that scare me.
About the people frustrating me.
About the responsibilities exhausting me.
He cares about me.
And because He cares, I don’t have to carry everything by myself.
David Brought God the Unfiltered Version
One of the things I appreciate about David is how honest he was with God.
Read through the Psalms and you’ll find David praising God one moment and pouring out fear, grief, confusion, anger or desperation in another.
David did’t seem interested in pretending before God.
And I love that.
Because sometimes I think we convince ourselves that prayer has to sound “spiritual.”
We think we need the perfect words.
But God already knows what’s happening inside us.
So why pretend?
There are days when my prayers sound peaceful.
There are other days when it’s more like:
“Lord, these people…
And you know what?
I believe I’d rather bring that frustration honestly before God and allow Him to work on my heart than carry it around until it comes spilling out onto somebody else.
My prayer closet has become the place where I can put down everything life keeps asking me to carry.
Looking to Jesus
Something about Jesus’ life has become especially meaningful to me in this season.
Scripture tells us:
“But He would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”
–Luke 5:16 (ESV)
Jesus was surrounded by needs.
Crowds followed Him.
People wanted healing.
His disciples needed Him.
There was always somewhere to go, someone to teach, or something demanding His attention.
And yet…
Jesus withdrew to pray.
That gets me.
Because if Jesus intentionally made room to be with the Father, why do I sometimes convince myself that I’m too busy to stop?
Prayer isn’t another responsibility I’m supposed to squeeze onto my already overflowing to–do list.
Prayer is where I go because the list is overflowing.
It’s where I remember that I’m not doing life alone.
It’s where I exchange my anxiety for His peace.
It’s where I surrender what I cannot control.
It’s where I stop listening to every voice around me long enough to focus my heart again on His.
It’s where I exhale.
Living It Out
Maybe you’ve been carrying a lot too.
Maybe everyone seems to need something from you.
Maybe you’re excited about where life is headed but nervous about what comes next.
Maybe you’re frustrated with people you love.
Maybe you’re exhausted.
Maybe you’re trying so hard to keep everything together that you haven’t realized how heavy everything has become.
You don’t have to wait until you reach your breaking point to go to God.
Find your place.
Maybe it’s a prayer closet like mine.
Maybe it’s your bedroom.
Your car.
Your kitchen table early in the morning.
A quiet walk outside.
Wherever it is, go there and give yourself permission to stop performing.
Exhale.
And talk to your Father.
Tell Him you’re tired.
Tell Him you’re angry.
Tell Him you’re scared.
Tell Him you’re excited.
Tell Him you’re confused.
Tell Him you’re grateful.
Tell Him all of it.
Because prayer doesn’t require us to bring God the polished version of ourselves.
Prayer gives us a place to bring Him the real one.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being the place where I can bring everything I’m carrying.
You know every responsibility on my plate, every thought running through my mind, every opportunity I’m excited about, every situation I’m worried about, and every frustration I haven’t spoken aloud.
Tonight, I give it all to You.
Teach me not to treat prayer as another task to complete, but as the place where I meet with You and remember that I was never meant to carry this life alone.
Jesus, when life becomes busy, remind me of Your example. Teach me to withdraw from the noise and spend time with the Father.
Holy Spirit, quiet the voices competing for my attention and help me recognize Yours.
And Lord, when I walk out of my prayer closet, help me leave behind the things I placed in Your hands instead of picking them right back up again.
Thank You for caring about me.
Thank You for listening.
Thank You for carrying what is too heavy for me.
And thank You for giving my soul a place to exhale.
In Jesus’ Mighty name,
Amen 
Reflection Question
What have you been carrying lately that you need to finally put down in God’s presence?
You don’t have to tell everybody.
You don’t have to explain it perfectly.
Just take it to Him.
He cares for you. 
Another Look to Jesus
I’m learning that stepping away to pray doesn’t mean I’m running away from my responsibilities.
Sometimes it’s exactly what prepares me to return to them differently.
Jesus withdrew.
Jesus Prayed.
And then Jesus continued doing what the Father called Him to do.
So tonight, I’m giving myself permission to do the same.
The work will still be there.
The responsibilities will still be there.
Some of these people will probably still be getting on my nerves!
But hopefully, I won’t be the same.
Because I’ve spent time with Jesus.
And sometimes the situation doesn’t need to change before we experience peace.
Sometimes we simply need a quiet place to lay everything down…
and exhale.
Grace &n Growth Rooted in Grace • Growing in Faith