Preparing Him Room - Your Nightly Prayer - December 8th

Preparing Him Room
Your Nighlty Prayer
by Chelsea Ohlemiller

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

"Make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God." - Isaiah 40:3

SOMETHING TO PONDER

My mind often feels like a constant storm, like a hurricane of worries and responsibilities. It’s full of appreciation and beauty, too, but often the loudest things are the ones built from fear and flooded by distraction.

Each day, I write lists of to-dos and must-get-done, and then I go about checking things off one by one. My work responsibilities always make the list. My children and my husband always make the list. So many things consistently make the list. But recently I realized a couple of critical items, absent from the list, unwritten, unprioritized- myself and God.

Our hurried world often screams each day for us to be productive and quick. It encourages us to do more, to be more, to achieve more—more, more, more! And in doing so, our lives become webs and labyrinths of tasks and priorities, slowly stealing and competing for the delicate space that should be saved for faith, and God, and Jesus. 

The only way to clear the clutter, to lower the distraction, to acknowledge my places of neglect, is to prioritize my time and space with intentionality for Jesus. 

Isaiah 40:3 tells us to “Make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.” And tonight, I find myself asking, "Am I doing this? Am I being faithful to this request, to this demand?" And in honesty and vulnerability, I can say that I am not. The beauty is that it is not too late and, in fact, it’s not even hard or unachievable. It starts with an invitation for God to meet me in the unmet places. The places that have held barriers built by me, not by superiority or holiness, but built from worldly priorities and goals. 

Right here, tonight, in this quiet and personal reflection, in this stillness, God can and will meet us. He can remind us that our hearts and our time are the holy ground in which we have the ability to transform with purpose and conscious decisions that are founded upon our faith and the Lord. The question lies in whether we are brave enough to add him to the top of our list? Are we courageous enough to ensure that there is room, always, for him? Are we bold enough to simplify our priorities, to quiet the worldly noise, to let go of the distractions?

And with him, we are.

Right now, in this darkness, in this night, we have the gracious opportunity to release all of the daily chaos, all of the emotional debris, and the known busyness of tomorrow, to clear a path for God. We have the ability to breathe in Jesus and breathe out distractions to better equip our lives with the foundation of what matters, him.

Isaiah 40:3 is a call to draw us back to God’s presence. All we have to do is accept that call.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Lord,
Help me remove the things that get in the way of you and your glory. Quiet the noise in my mind and the distractions in my heart. Help me let go of resentment and guilt. Support me as I work to simplify my priorities, always keeping you at the top. Above all, remind me, when I get preoccupied and overwhelmed, that the best room in my heart is the one built for you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. Reflect on a time this week where your distractions kept you from things that matter, foundational things like faith and God and family. How can you ensure the next time distractions come, you’ll be equipped with the ability to pause and then choose the things that matter most? 

2. Encourage yourself to simplify your priorities this week, ensuring you carve out intentional time for the Lord and his words and wisdom.

3. Think of the resentments you hold and the guilt that weighs you down. How can you let go of these things? How can you find peace in God’s promises and God’s plans?

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Greyson Joralemon

Chelsea Ohlemiller is an author and speaker passionate about raising awareness of grief’s impact on life and faith. She has an active and engaging social media presence and is well-known for her blog, Happiness, Hope & Harsh Realities. Her first book, “Now That She’s Gone,” will be released in August. She lives in Indianapolis with her husband and three children, who are the driving force behind all that she does.

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