Jesus invites us to sit at the table with Him and lay our burdens at His feet. Haleigh shares her experience and practice of imaginative prayer and surrendering her worries to Jesus.
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
This summer I stumbled upon the most impactful form of prayer I have experienced in my time of being a Christian. Late one night, I was at my end, stressed from the fullness of my life, and just needed a space to pour out the burdens on my heart. I sat at the small dining table in my apartment, looking at an empty chair across from me. I was so desperate for someone to listen to me, for a deep connection that would bring warmth to my heart. I thought I would try to imagine Jesus sitting in the chair across from me. I began to let out all of the emotions I was feeling, all of the worries; everything that was pent up inside of me. I left nothing unsaid, and in a more raw way than I ever had before, I laid everything out before God and trusted Him with it.
After I sufficiently felt released from the tension I was holding, I just sat quietly. I looked across the table at that empty chair where I imagined Jesus Christ sitting, and I envisioned His face, His reactions to what I had to say, and the compassion He would extend toward me. Then I felt the Holy Spirit respond to me, and I imagined Jesus saying the words the Spirit laid on my heart, and I was touched so deeply, I began to weep. This was a moment of my greatest unravelling and also a stepping stone in healing.
It blows me away how our God continues to show us His love, again and again, even after we have moved on with our lives as if He never showed us His love at all. He never gets tired of extending His life changing love to us, and for that I am eternally thankful.
I have crafted this experience into a regular practice. The way I have grown accustomed to doing this is by sitting in a space where I can see an open chair. My favorite place, and where I discovered the magnificent power of this prayer, as I mentioned, was at the kitchen table in my apartment. I sit in a chair where I can see the open chair, and I imagine Jesus Christ sitting in the open seat. Then, I invite the Holy Spirit into the space, giving Him the permission to do what He wishes. After I have done this, I ask myself, “What is weighing heaviest on my heart in this moment?” and then I just start unloading. I talk through all of my emotions, thoughts and worries, letting out everything I have been keeping inside. Once I have sufficiently put everything out on the table, I then get quiet, and wait to hear from God about what I have just laid out in front of Him. As I am hearing from God, I look at that open chair where Jesus is “sitting” and I visualize His face, how He may be reacting to me and the compassion He would have for me. Once I feel that I have heard from God, I respond, and we go back and forth in conversation. This type of prayer always leads me to revelations and my greatest unravelling. God, in His grace, meets me in those moments and provides me with just enough to refine me in the ways I need it most. I walk away from these conversations so filled, content and refreshed with a new mentality and perspective.
I think this way of prayer works so well for me because it is an act of surrender. I tend to be one to think I can handle things on my own in this life. I take on a lot and think that I am invincible, but that’s just not the case. Everything that I have achieved, everything I have going for me in my life is not from my own power, but only because God has provided for me and has brought me this far. This life is brutal and has a way of distracting you from truth and the abundant life that Jesus intends for us. However, we have a God who, in His grace, relentlessly brings us back to Himself, if only we give Him the opportunity. That’s why this form of prayer works. You are able to lay everything you are holding before Him, and He takes, holds it in a way that only He can, and then presents you with renewed life in light of the burdens. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:30 that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He is offering to take our burdens and exchange them for His. Our God is so personal, knowing what is weighing heavy on us and is on the edge of His seat waiting for the chance to take your burden from you and replace it with His hope and life.
Beloved, I encourage you to try this form of prayer or something similar to it. Jesus invites all of us to sit at the table, to be in fellowship with Him, and to live life alongside Him. There is nothing you could bring to Him that would make Him think any different of you. He knows what you’ll say before you even say it, but it is our choice to bring it to Him in surrender. I invite you to sit at the table.
Lord, I pray for your child who is reading this. I pray that they would have the courage to lay whatever is weighing heaviest on their heart at Your feet. To sit at the table that You invite all of us to, and be in communication and fellowship with You. You are the one God who knows the feelings in our hearts and the thoughts in our minds, You know what we have been through, what we are going through, and what we have yet to face in this life. Surround Your child in love today, and encourage them to trust You with their burdens. We love you Lord, and I pray that everything we say, everything we do, everything we think today would bring You all glory and honor and praise. In Your mighty name we pray, Amen.
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Author:
Hello, friends! My name is Haleigh! I am studying Pastoral Ministry at Bethel University. One of the most prominent passions in my life is women’s ministry. I have such a heart for women and helping them see how God created us for such an intentional purpose. Read more of my writing here.
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