The Gift of Time to Pray

December was a busy month for my family. It was filled with birthdays, work, and celebrations. When January arrived, we settled back into our regular routine. School started again for my children, and my husband went back to work. I wanted to get busy too. I was ready to start reading and writing again. I was ready to help out with small tasks around the home.

But my body was too worn out from the holiday season. I used up a lot of energy over Christmas break, and my body has had a hard time recovering from the exertion. The fatigue has made it difficult to type on my laptop, even while lying down in bed. Sometimes it has been too hard to read or even watch a movie. The extra tiredness has been discouraging for me. I have wanted to do more to serve my family, but the fatigue has kept me still and quiet.

I was feeling sad about all that I could not do, but then I decided to shift my focus and look for the gifts found in the mundane, quiet days at home. I started adding up the time that I spent in prayer on my tired days, and I soon realized that I was spending two hours or more in prayer on many of those days! Because I was too tired to do my normal tasks, I was able to spend much more time in prayer.

In the middle of these weak and tired days, I have been given a good gift: uninterrupted time to pray. Many Christians would be grateful for two hours of time alone with God each day to pray. The time I have to pray is a precious gift, and I am learning to accept it as such.

I live in a body of weakness. Maybe you do too. It is a comfort to know that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). God can work through our weak and tired bodies, and spending time in prayer is one way we can let Him work through us. It is also a comfort to know that the “Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

So this winter, as I rest and recover from the holidays, I am keeping my prayer cards nearby. When I am too tired to read a book or write a blog post, I will spend time in prayer. This extra time spent in prayer for friends, family, ministries, and missionaries is not time that is wasted. It is time that is spent on Kingdom work! It is a privilege to come before the Lord in my weakness and pray, and it is a comfort to know that the Holy Spirit intercedes on my behalf.

Is there a limitation you are facing that makes life difficult, but that opens up new opportunities? What gifts have come as a result of a disability or illness in your life?

This article was originally published on The Irresistible Church.