What do you do when the problems and circumstances of life seem to overwhelm you? Some people take a long nap and hope that things will be different by the time they wake up! And some even do so on Sunday morning! Sleep has its merits but it is not a solution. Just ask Job. Poor Job had a lot to be depressed about and his outlook was pretty bleak: "Is not man's life on earth a drudgery... months of misery and troubled nights have been allotted to me.I am filled with restlessness until the dawn."

In scripture, rest-especially, Sabbath- is not about sleeping but about worshiping. It is an invitation to commune with God. Job couldn't sleep; so, he instead entered into a dialogue with the One who never sleeps or slumbers. When the crowds of sick, possessed, and lame people threatened to overwhelm Jesus, he went not to sleep ~ but to pray.

Prayer is not running away from your problems; it is retrieving what you need to face your problems successfully: peace of mind, courage, faith, truth, wisdom, consolation, direction. What we need is God. When Jesus finished praying, he knew exactly what to do and where to go. By the time Job finished his dialogue with God, his great despair had changed into great hope. We can't know what the future holds, but prayer focuses us on Who holds the future!