A prayer to linger a little longer
I’ve been trying to slow down lately, to relish moments, to linger—to embrace the sweetness of this fleeting season. I’m thankful for the lessons prompting me to let go of striving, to stop pushing against closed doors, and instead see them as answered prayers. I want to pour my energy, emotions, and efforts into the open doors—the opportunities and spaces that are available.
I’m cherishing snuggles, laughter, and the nearness of dear ones, savoring every moment and not rushing through them. I’m learning not to hyperfocus or worry about what I cannot change, but to lean into what I’m responsible for—who I’m responsible for. I’m leaving space for God to show up and surprise me, releasing my need to control everything, because He’s God, and I’m not.
I laid down all these thoughts and musings into AI, and it helped me weave them into something tangible—this prayer. I hope it encourages you the way it did me. My prayer is that it helps you linger in your own season and savor what God has placed before you.
April
A Prayer to Linger a Little Longer
Lord, You are the giver of seasons, the author of time.
You place me in moments rich with meaning, full of love, overflowing with Your goodness.
And yet, time moves swiftly, slipping through my fingers like sand.
Teach me to linger a little longer, to slow, to stay.
In this season, You have given gifts too sweet to rush past—
The sound of little feet running to greet me,
The weight of sleepy heads resting against my chest,
The joy of voices calling my name with delight.
Let me not take these gifts for granted. Let me cherish them as holy.
You have surrounded me with good things—
Parents who are near, sharing life so freely,
Friends who love deeply and walk beside me,
A church that feels like home, a place where faith grows strong.
Let me settle into this sweetness, resting in the abundance You have provided.
Lord, You are teaching me to release what is not mine to carry,
To let go of guilt, to stop pushing open doors You have lovingly closed.
You are showing me that closed doors are not rejections,
But answered prayers I did not yet understand.
May I trust Your guidance, investing my heart only where You have called me.
Keep my heart from wandering, my mind from drifting,
Let me not chase what is fleeting or be distracted by lesser things.
Fix my eyes on You, my Savior, and the good gifts You have lavished upon me.
Keep me present, keep me rooted, keep me here.
From the very beginning, You showed me how to rest.
On the seventh day, You did not pause because You were weary—
But because all You had made was good, and You delighted in it.
Teach me, Lord, to rest like You—
To pause not out of exhaustion,
But to savor what You have done and given.
Let me linger a little longer in the goodness You have placed before me.
And in all things, may I walk in step with Your Spirit—
Not striving in my own effort, not running ahead of You,
Nor letting fear hold me back, dragging my feet where You call me to go.
May I move as You move, rest as You lead, and trust You with each step.
In this fleeting season, let me be fully present.
Let me love deeply, pour out richly, and hold nothing back.
Let me savor the sacred now, the holiness of today,
Before it becomes a memory I long to return to.
I receive this season as a gift. I linger in it with gratitude. I rest in Your unchanging faithfulness.
And when the time comes to step into what is next,
Let me go forward with a heart full, not empty—
Knowing I have loved this season well,
Knowing I have gathered every drop of joy You poured into it.
Until then, Lord, let me linger a little longer. Let me see. Let me stay. Amen.
