Dear Father in Heaven, I come before you weary and beat down by this long day. Being a mother can be so hard! I often feel helpless and inadequate. I never know what to expect. I often don't know what to do. The constant change leaves me reeling. The twists and turns of each day is a glaring reminder of how needy and dependent I am.

The book of Hebrews tells me I can come to you in confidence and find the grace and mercy I need. And so I come to you now to lay all these burdens at your feet. I feel so overwhelmed by the details of life. It seems like I can never get ahead. Just when I clean up one mess, another one pops up somewhere else. Just when I think I know what I am doing as a mom, my child enters a new age and stage. Just when I think I have a steady routine in place, someone gets sick or hurt. Some days I wonder if I’m really cut out for motherhood.

I know I failed to glorify you today. I failed to love as you love me. I failed to extend the grace you’ve given me to my children. Forgive me for striving in my own strength. Forgive me for my fears over all the unknowns of motherhood. Forgive me for putting my hope in things, circumstances, or in my own strength rather than in you. Forgive me for my impatience and for wanting life to go my way. Each of these sins and failures reminds me of just how much I need a Savior. Today reminds me that I need Jesus more than I did yesterday and that tomorrow I will need him even more.

I pray that tomorrow you would be with me in all ups and downs of my day. Help me to find my joy in you and not in my circumstances. Help me not to fear whatever twists and turns may come. Help me to love my children and serve them well. Help me to enjoy each moment with them and not spend my time worrying about the next moment to come. May I remember that even when it feels otherwise, you are always with me and will never leave me or forsake me. Tonight, may I sleep in peace knowing that even when I lose my grip, you never let go of me. And may I open my eyes in the morning to find mercy, fresh and new, ready for the taking.