Evenings are usually especially busy times. In the afternoon, he will be well into his daily activities, and is likely to experience some stress and fatigue. Making time to reflect on your blessings and pray in the evening is a powerful way to connect with the peace and renewal that God offers you. No matter what else is on your agenda, prayer can make it a good afternoon for you. Try these 7 good afternoon blessings and prayers (3 blessings and 4 prayers) to enjoy time with God in the afternoon.
3 Good Afternoon Blessings
You have the opportunity to be blessed each evening when you choose to connect with God, because simply tuning into God’s presence with you is a blessing. “Be still and know that I am God…” God encourages you in Psalm 46:10. In the midst of your busy afternoon, you can discover many blessings as you focus on God’s continual presence. Here are 3 Good Afternoon Blessings – Afternoon Activities to help you notice more of God’s work in your life:
1. Enjoy an afternoon walk. Even a short walk in the afternoon can bless you with peace and renewed energy to get through the rest of the day. Naturalist Henry David Thoreau, who said that “a morning walk is a blessing for the whole day,” also regularly took evening walks. “On my evening walk I would like to forget all my morning occupations and my obligations to society,” he commented. In the afternoon, you can clear away the stress accumulated so far in your day by focusing on how God is with you, with every step you take. My book Wake Up to Wonder describes wellness research that shows the benefits of walking, and especially walking with the purpose of seeking inspiration from God, what I call “wonder walks.” God can use an afternoon walk in your life to change your perspective. A good afternoon walk can be tremendously helpful in transcending stress by realizing the amazing ways God is working around you.
2. Enjoy a good snack. When you renew your body with a snack, you can also experience the renewal in your soul. The tradition of afternoon tea, in which people slow down to savor a refreshing drink and a variety of creative snacks, is a case in point. “Tea! Blessed be ordinary afternoon tea!” exclaimed the novelist Agatha Christie. She often enjoyed afternoon tea and the inspiration it gave her to write. If a coffee break or non-caffeinated beverage with your snack is more her style, enjoy it. Any nutritious snack can serve as a good snack. Saying a short prayer of grace before snack time can help you connect even more with the presence of God, who provides you with your daily bread and everything you need.
3. Enjoy a dreamy afternoon. Daydreaming is a popular afternoon pastime, and it can be a powerful way to use your God-given creativity to discover new insights. “The evening knows what the morning never suspected,” said the poet Robert Frost. Go ahead, let your mind wander for a bit during the afternoon. Reflect on the thoughts in your mind and the emotions in your heart. Pray for them, seeking God’s guidance. Enjoy the new ideas that come to you while you daydream and let them bless you with new motivation for the rest of the day and beyond.
2. A good evening prayer of peace: “God, you know the stress I’m facing today and the worries on my mind. Instead of worrying, I pray and trust that you will intervene in these situations. Please send me the peace that only you can give. Send your Holy Spirit to renew my mind, so that I can think about my life from your perspective and make wise decisions. When my attention is drawn in many directions by all my responsibilities, guide me to stay focused and centered on you. Amen.”
3. A helpful prayer for good evening: “God, as I return to the hustle and bustle of my day, I offer all my activities to you as an act of service. Please renew my energy while I work. Help me to solve the problems I am facing and to make good progress towards the goals I am trying to achieve. Let your love flow through me into the lives of everyone I come in contact with for the rest of this day. Help me to choose kind words and actions that encourage others and reveal your light shining through me to them. Thank you for helping me with everything I need for the rest of this day. Amen.”
4. An Inspirational Good Afternoon Prayer: “God, thank you for this time to reflect on my day so far. Please show me what you would like me to learn from what has happened. Guide me to make the best decisions to move forward today and beyond. As I slow down to hear your voice, meet me where I am so I can hear your messages. Send me some inspiration this afternoon. I am excited to hear from you. Amen.”
How Good Afternoon Prayers and Blessings Can Change Your Whole Day
Taking a break in the middle of the afternoon to connect more deeply with God can change your entire day by shifting your perspective. Instead of being stressed and tired from your busyness, you can experience peace and renewal in the presence of God.
Blessings remind you to connect with God. In Wake Up to Wonder, I describe a super stressful afternoon when my son reminded me to breathe. That simple reminder helped me connect with God in prayer using my breath. As I did, the stress dissipated and peace came over me. Breathing reminds us that absolutely everything, including the next breath we need to stay alive, is a blessing from God. By practicing activities in the evening that help you feel more of God’s presence with you, such as taking walks, snacking, and daydreaming, you can become more aware of the blessings God is constantly pouring into your life. Your blessings include not only the gifts you are grateful for, but also the attitudes you are developing as you grow spiritually. In Matthew 5, during his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes what the specific qualities of a blessed life look like. These qualities are known as the beatitudes: being poor in spirit, mourning, meekness, hungering and thirsting for justice, showing mercy, seeking purity, making peace, and doing what is right even under pressure such as persecution. Thinking about blessings from God’s perspective can help you see that anything in your life can become a blessing if you trust God to help you.
Prayers enable you to communicate with God. Throughout church history, some believers have traditionally prayed at specific times of the day, including in the evening. Feel free to develop prayer habits that work best for you, confident that prayer works because God is always listening carefully. When you talk and listen to God in prayer, you can focus on the reality of God’s care for you, no matter what circumstances you’re dealing with in the afternoon. Praying in the evening helps you stay focused on your relationship with God, which is more important than anything else, because that relationship is eternal.
Former US President and champion of peace Jimmy Carter once said, “We must live our lives as if Christ were coming this afternoon.” Practice Evening Blessings and Prayers it can help you focus on what matters most.
conclusion
When you feel more stressed than blessed, take an afternoon break to enjoy God’s presence with you. Enjoying good evening blessings and prayers will lift your perspective beyond your circumstances to the God who cares for you. As a result, you can experience the boost you need to return to your busy afternoon with spiritual strength!