Opening Scripture:
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
— Ephesians 3:16–19 (NIV)
Reflection:
There’s something about the hard things we carry —
fear, shame, grief, exhaustion —
that convinces us we’re alone.
Sometimes it’s not just the weight itself.
It’s the way we try to outrun it.
We refuse to stop.
We refuse to listen.
We tell ourselves if we just move faster, try harder, or stay distracted long enough, the ache will eventually disappear.
But it doesn’t.
And the longer we run from what’s real, the deeper the loneliness grows.
I remember feeling that way more times than I can count.
There were seasons when I truly wondered if peace was something I’d ever reach again — like a prize I had to fight for, earn, or somehow deserve.
But that’s not the truth.
The truth is, you are already blessed.
You are already seen.
You are already loved.
You are already spoken over by a Father who does not forget His children.
This isn’t just a comforting thought — it’s deeply woven into how we were created.
Research by Dr. John Trent, who co-authored The Blessing, shows that people who receive intentional words of blessing — affirmation, love, and identity — grow in emotional resilience, secure attachment, and hope for the future.
The absence of blessing leaves a wound: a quiet ache that asks, “Am I loved? Am I wanted?”
That’s why HELD ends with blessing — not striving, not survival.
Because we need something stronger than fear to anchor us when the nights grow long.
We need to know that blessing isn’t the finish line.
It’s the foundation.
You are blessed.
You are rooted.
You are kept.
Prayer:
Father,
Strengthen me with Your Spirit in my inner being.
Root me deeper into Your love — the love that holds me even when fear shakes me.
Help me grasp, even in the dark, how wide and long and high and deep Your love for me truly is.
I don’t want to just know about Your blessing — I want to live rooted in it.
Fill me with the fullness of Your presence, even tonight.
Remind me that I am not striving for Your love — I am already held by it.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Rooted Night Practice:
(Inhale and exhale slowly, repeating these truths.)
Inhale: “Root me in Your love.”
Exhale: “Hold me in Your grace.”
Closing Invitation:
This reflection is part of my new HELD Series — honest prayers and gospel hope for sleepless, anxious nights.
If this speaks to your heart, you’ll find more reflections like this in HELD: Scripture and Soul Care for Sleepless, Anxious Nights.
You were never meant to carry this alone.
You are being held.