If you’re lacking peace, contact an online mentor to today to talk about it.

“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” (Matthew 11:28-30).

I love this scripture. This is a promise that I have held onto so many times in my life. I believe that this scripture so clearly describes the character of Jesus and His desire for our lives.

When we think about relaxing, we often think about a massage, a nice bubble bath, or a day at the spa. How many of us can say that when we think about relaxation, we think about Jesus? How many of us truly come to Him when we are burdened and allow Him to give us rest?

I have to admit that allowing myself to rest in Him is not as easy. I often find myself treating Jesus as my best friend. I tell Him everything and ask for His wisdom and counsel. But, once I have told Him everything, I continue to worry about or try to control the situation. You see, in order for Jesus to give us rest, we have to take His yoke upon us and learn from Him. We have to stop trying to control everything that happens in our lives, and give all of the control over to Him.

There are so many things in our world today that can make us weary. Many of us worry, some deal with issues of obsession and control, others have exhausting relationship issues. We allow our circumstances to burden us and we become tired and stressed.

This is not the life that Jesus has for us. He does not want us to be weary and longs to give us rest. His gentleness and humbleness can be refreshing and renewing. Just the thought of sitting with Jesus and allowing Him to take on my burdens brings peace to my soul.

When we come to Jesus broken and upset, He longs to show us how small our lives really are when compared to eternity and the life we will have with Him when we leave this world.

However, while we are here, we can find joy in knowing that our Savior has promised rest from the world in Him. He is waiting for us to come and rest in His arms. He is longing for us to sit at His feet and find peace that surpasses our understanding.

Are you living the life that you have been called to live? Do you allow Jesus to bring rest and peace to your life? Or do you spend every moment of your life searching for a way to find rest and relaxation?

Ask God to remind you that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. When you begin to feel tired and stressed, stop and come to Him. When you come, don’t just come, but come and unload. He promises that He can take it and is more than willing to give you the rest and relaxation you need and deserve!

Questions: What do you do when you find yourself weary, anxious, or lacking peace?

Thinking of Divorce? Talk to someone who will listen.

Imagine you are camping with your family by a big lake. You’ve cooked dinner over the fire and now you are relaxing around the campfire roasting marshmallows and eating s’mores. There is no wind and the lake is perfectly still looking like a mirror reflecting a beautiful sunset. After eating the s’mores, the kids decide to throw rocks into the lake. They are captivated with the ripples they are making in the water, having a great time seeing who can make the biggest ripples.

Dad comments to Mom that the ripples the kids are making when throwing the rocks in the water remind him of the affect our prayers can have on others. Our intercessory prayers for our family members, friends, co-workers and others to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will have a ripple affect. They will affect their lives and the lives of those with whom they come in contact, even future generations.

In my family archives I found a letter written by my great-grandfather in Poland to my grandfather who had immigrated to America. In the letter, he wrote that he was praying for my grandfather, his children, and grandchildren. It has been a blessing for me to see, in writing, that my great-grandfather living in Poland had prayed for me when I was a small child. My great-grandfather’s prayers had a ripple effect on my grandfather, my father and on me.

We might be surprised how our prayers for our friends, neighbors, co-workers have a ripple effect on their lives and the lives they touch. When we introduce someone to Jesus Christ and he or she invites Him into their life, that person will have an influence on their families and others. We will never know many people they will influence for Jesus Christ in their families, neighborhoods, workplace and beyond.

Another way we can have a ripple effect is how we live our lives. As we seek the Lord ourselves and invest time, energy, and effort in our own walk with the Lord, we will have a ripple affect on our families and relationships.

In Psalms 128:1 and 2 it says, “When we walk with the Lord and follow his ways, we will enjoy the fruit of our labors and our lives will be rich”. Let’s deliberately pray for our loved ones, walk with the Lord and follow his ways then we will see the ripple effect, just as our kids enjoy the ripple effect from the rocks they throw into the water. We will enjoy the fruit of our labors and be richly blessed when we see God at work in the lives of others. We may not see the answers to our prayers during our lifetime but they will be in God’s storehouse and have a ripple effect.

Dear Lord I want to follow your ways so my prayers and the way I live my life will glorify you and have a ripple effect to my loved ones and those with whom I come in contact. Help me to be sensitive to the needs of others so I can pray for them and encourage them in their walk with you. Amen.

Questions: Do you pray intentionally for your families, neighbors, co-workers, friends, pastor, Missionaries etc?  Think back on how your ancestors have had a ripple effect on you.

About the Author Lillian Penner

“He lets me rest in green pastures.” Psalm 23:2 (NLT)

For a field to bear fruit, it must occasionally lie fallow.  And for you to be healthy, you must rest.  Slow down, and God will heal you.  He will bring rest to your mind, to your body, and most of all to your soul.  He will lead you to green pastures.

Green pastures were not the natural terrain of Judea.  The hills around Bethlehem where David kept his flock were not lush and green.  Even today they are white and parched.  Any green pasture in Judea is the work of some shepherd.  He had cleared the rough, rocky land.  Stumps have been torn out, and brush has been burned …

With his own pierced hands, Jesus created a pasture for the soul.  He tore out the thorny underbrush of condemnation.  He pried loose the huge boulders of sin.  In their place he planted seeds of grace and dug ponds of mercy.

And he invites us to rest there.

Question: Do you need to slow down, and rest for awhile in God’s green pastures?

About this Author: Max Lucado

Imagine you are camping with your family by a big lake. You’ve cooked dinner over the fire and now you are relaxing around the campfire roasting marshmallows and eating s’mores. There is no wind and the lake is perfectly still looking like a mirror reflecting a beautiful sunset. After eating the s’mores, the kids decide to throw rocks into the lake. They are captivated with the ripples they are making in the water, having a great time seeing who can make the biggest ripples.

Dad comments to Mom that the ripples the kids are making when throwing the rocks in the water remind him of the affect our prayers can have on others. Our intercessory prayers for our family members, friends, co-workers and others to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will have a ripple affect. They will affect their lives and the lives of those with whom they come in contact, even future generations.

In my family archives I found a letter written by my great-grandfather in Poland to my grandfather who had immigrated to America. In the letter, he wrote that he was praying for my grandfather, his children, and grandchildren. It has been a blessing for me to see, in writing, that my great-grandfather living in Poland had prayed for me when I was a small child. My great-grandfather’s prayers had a ripple effect on my grandfather, my father and on me.

We might be surprised how our prayers for our friends, neighbors, co-workers have a ripple effect on their lives and the lives they touch. When we introduce someone to Jesus Christ and he or she invites Him into their life, that person will have an influence on their families and others. We will never know many people they will influence for Jesus Christ in their families, neighborhoods, workplace and beyond.

Another way we can have a ripple effect is how we live our lives. As we seek the Lord ourselves and invest time, energy, and effort in our own walk with the Lord, we will have a ripple affect on our families and relationships.

In Psalms 128:1 and 2 it says, “When we walk with the Lord and follow his ways, we will enjoy the fruit of our labors and our lives will be rich”. Let’s deliberately pray for our loved ones, walk with the Lord and follow his ways then we will see the ripple effect, just as our kids enjoy the ripple effect from the rocks they throw into the water. We will enjoy the fruit of our labors and be richly blessed when we see God at work in the lives of others. We may not see the answers to our prayers during our lifetime but they will be in God’s storehouse and have a ripple effect.

Dear Lord I want to follow your ways so my prayers and the way I live my life will glorify you and have a ripple effect to my loved ones and those with whom I come in contact. Help me to be sensitive to the needs of others so I can pray for them and encourage them in their walk with you. Amen.

Questions: Do you pray intentionally for your families, neighbors, co-workers, friends, pastor, Missionaries etc?  Do your prayers or the way you live your life have a ripple effect on others?

About the Author Lillian Penner

Still looking for more? Check out the New York Times Best Seller list, or the Modern Library 100 Best list.

You’ve read the classics, have you read the first book that came off the Gutenburg press?  Why should you read a 2000 year old book?

Read this article to learn how you can Battle Stress and Win!

Need some quick tips? Check out this quick list of 10 Easy Ways to Minimize Stress.

Check out these articles:
6 Great Tips on how to Maximize your Cellphone Use
Top 3 Gaget picks of today
How an affair can begin with a simple e-mail

Articles on summer fun:
Simply Ways to Energize your Summer
Affordable Summer Dates
Decked Out for Summer