A Prayer for the Tired
For anyone who comes to the end of the day with more asked of them than they had to give.
God of the long day, we come to you tired.
Some of us are tired in the body: the work was heavy, the hours were many, and the rest we hoped for did not come. Some of us are tired in a way that is harder to name — worn down by worry, by grief we carry quietly, by the effort of keeping going for the people who depend on us. You know which kind of tired each of us is. We do not have to explain it to you.
We bring you the things left undone. We bring you the words we wish we had not said, and the ones we wish we had. We ask you to hold the people we love while we cannot.
Give us, tonight, enough. Not everything we want, but enough: enough rest to face the morning, enough peace to stop turning the day over in our minds, enough trust to believe that you are awake while we sleep.
And when we wake, meet us there. Amen.
More in prayer
A Prayer for the Tired
For the reader who has run out of words and still wants to pray.
A Prayer for the Tired
For anyone who comes to the end of the day with more left undone than done.
A Prayer for the Tired Morning
For the day when strength is low and the work is still there.