Needing calm

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Modern life can be hectic, bringing with it many pressures. Sometimes, we all just need to find a bit of calm.

A female toddler with brown hair and a blue top, sleeping peacefully with a white rabbit soft toy.

It can be hard to switch off in a 24/7 world. The phone keeps pinging, the demands keep coming, and everyone wants a piece of us. Keeping lots of plates spinning at once can be exhausting and leave us feeling stressed out. We can’t always make the pressures go away, but we can look for a bit of calm amid the busyness.

Jesus invites us to come to him when we are weary in order to find rest (Matthew 11:28 – 30), because he understood that feeling of being burdened and just needing to lay things down for a while. We can come to God when we need that spot of calm in our day, as God gets it and unconditionally loves us.

Like a good friend who really hears and gets you,

God is always ready to listen. Nothing is too small or too trivial to share with God.

Silhoutte of a man crouched praying, with orange sunset behind him

It might be helpful to list all the things you have going on and share them with God, and to tell God exactly how you really feel. This could mean journaling or mind mapping, or just speaking these things aloud. Do whatever helps you.

What would you like God to do for you?

Here’s a Simple Prayer. Say It with Me.

God, there’s so much going on right now.

Help me to lay down my burdens for a while,

and to find rest in your calming presence.

Amen

In Matthew 11:28 – 30, Jesus invites anyone feeling tired or anxious, overwhelmed or drained, to come to him and find rest. He is gentle and has a humble heart, which means he doesn’t judge us or dismiss us when we need a spot of calm. Instead of adding to our burdens with more ‘you ought to’ or ‘you should be’ stuff, he wants to lighten the load by sharing them with us.

Taking even just a few minutes out of your day to rest in the loving and gentle presence of God can really help when you find yourself needing a spot of calm.

Listening to music can be a way to find a moment of calm when we need it, especially when the noise in our heads is loud and making it hard to slow down and relax.

Margaret Rizza’s beautiful version of a song called ‘Calm Me, Lord’ repeats the same words over several times. You could use them as a prayer when you can’t find the right words yourself, or just let the gentle music wash over you like warm, calming waters.

Calm me, Lord, as you calm the storm.

Still me, Lord. Keep me from harm.

Let all the tumult within me cease.

Enfold me, Lord, in your peace.