An Evening Prayer for Letting Go of Control

God, I spent today trying to run the world again.

I tried to manage how people saw me.
I tried to steer things that were not mine to steer.
I rehearsed conversations so they would go my way.
I worried about outcomes I could not change,
as if worrying would change them.
It wore me out, Lord. It always does.

Forgive me for acting as if everything depends on me.
It doesn't. It depends on You.
You held the world together long before I came along,
and You will hold it long after I'm gone.

So tonight I hand back the controls.
The people I love — You love them more.
The plans I made — You see further than I do.
The things I can't fix — You are not worried about them.

Let me rest in Your care instead of my control.
It is a much softer place to lie down.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

When to Pray This

Pray this at the end of a day when you tried to manage everything and everyone, and you feel worn out for it. Say it slowly, and picture handing each person and plan back to God as you name them.

A Verse to Hold On To

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it." — Psalm 37:5 (BSB)