A Prayer When You Are Weary and Burdened
By Vivian Bricker
Bible Reading:
“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.” - Matthew 11:28-30
Listen or Read Below:
Ever since I was diagnosed with an autoimmune illness, there have been days when I feel so tired and in so much pain that I don't want to get out of bed in the morning. Due to waking up multiple times in the night with aches and pain, I don't get much sleep. While I'm praying for a better medicine change, it seems that I'm stuck in my present form of treatment until I can get an earlier appointment to see my doctor. Doctors are extremely helpful, but their waitlists can sometimes be quite extensive.
All of us who struggle with a chronic illness understand how challenging daily operations can be. Rather than approaching the day with confidence, we struggle, are in pain, and second-guess everything. We really don't want to be out with loved ones or somewhere far away when pain hits us. As someone who has firsthand experienced this, it makes every single event stressful because I never know how I will feel.
Even if you don't have a chronic illness, you very likely know and love someone who does. You know how bad it feels when you are sick; imagine having that all the time, and still having to go to work, attend events, and meet up with loved ones. You can quickly see how tiring and overwhelming it is. Thankfully, we don't have to face these struggles on our own because we serve a great and wonderful God.
The Lord tells us, “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” (Matthew 11:28-30).
When we look at this passage, we see the Lord telling all those who are weary and burdened to come to Him, and He will give them rest. Most of us are weary and burdened for various reasons. Maybe you don't have an autoimmune illness, but you do struggle with another health condition, or you are going through a divorce, a miscarriage, or the loss of a loved one. Everyone is going through something, and most of us can relate to what it means to be weary and burdened.
The Lord will give us rest if we would just come to Him with these feelings. This is a promise from the Lord—a promise He will never take back. He also tells us to take His yoke upon us and learn from Him, as He is gentle and humble in heart, and we will find rest for our souls. The Lord’s yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Praise the Lord that we serve such an amazing God, who is always for and never against us. He has lifted up our souls and placed our feet on level ground. He is good, and we can turn to Him with anything. With our heavy, burdened hearts, we can turn to Him in prayer today.
Let's Pray:
Dear Jesus,
I am weary and burdened today. Due to a myriad of things going on in my life, I just don't feel good. I long to feel at peace and to have this weight removed from my back. Thank You for revealing the promise of Matthew 11:28-30 to me. I am coming to You today, with my weary and burdened heart. I am taking Your yoke upon me and I am learning from You.
I praise You that You are gentle and humble in heart, and I will find rest for my soul in Your love. Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light, Lord. Thank You for blessing me with Your grace, love, and protection.
In Your wonderful Name, I pray, Amen.
Discuss today’s devotional with others in the Your Daily Prayer thread on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/fizkes
Related Resource: How to Choose Your One Word for 2026
This month on the How to Study the Bible Podcast, we’re starting a new series called One Word 2026, and it’s meant to be a gentle but intentional way to reflect, respond, and reconnect with God as we begin the year. In this episode, I’m walking you through why I love taking the whole month of January to pause and listen — rather than rushing into resolutions or putting pressure on yourself to “get it all together” by January 1. We’re going to start with Philippians 1:3–11, where Paul reminds us that we can have real confidence because God is still working in us, and He’s not finished.
Then I’m going to share six words I’ve been praying over for our community — six spiritual intentions that I believe reflect the kind of growth God may be inviting us into this year. You don’t have to choose one right away, and you definitely don’t have to force it — but I hope that one of these words will resonate in your spirit and give you a steady anchor for 2026.
This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to subscribe to the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
