Come To Me - Sacred Questions

COME TO ME

a prayer to open

Here I am, Lord. Quiet my mind. Open my heart.

Give me ears to hear your invitation and the faith to respond.

At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!

“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

In this passage, we read Jesus’ most fundamental invitation. “Come to me,” he says, and we cannot help but exhale. We are weary of our own struggles, the brokenness of the world, the painful relationships in our lives. We are burdened by our drive to achieve, by unmet expectations, by the wounds we carry with us. The sins of our pasts and the pain we have caused haunt us, and we long to be free. Aware of what pulls at our hearts, Jesus invites us not to believe doctrines or abide by rules but to find in him the rest we have been longing for.

• As you read today’s passage, what words of Jesus stood out to you the most? Why do you think those particular words caught your attention?
• Read the passage again slowly. Which of your burdens or struggles come to mind? Where are you longing for rest? What invitation do you sense Jesus extending to you through this passage with respect to that particular longing?
• Do you know someone who seems burdened or weary? Seek God’s guidance as to how you might share Jesus’ invitation with that person or be a channel of the rest he offers.

Loving God, thank you for this invitation that my soul longs for so deeply. Give me the courage and faith to say yes and move toward Jesus. Help me see what weighs on my heart and causes me to live in the ways of hurry and worry instead of peace and freedom. Teach me to walk with you and to show others, by the way I live, what it means to be yours. Amen.