Prayer for the City

This devotional is written by Dave Holden. Composer, Husband to Ciara, Dad to Jack.

Like most who lead a freelance lifestyle I do a variety of jobs; most I enjoy, and some simply serve to pay the bills. I find myself running from one job to the next, I might be pitching music for a TV advert, playing in a wedding band or sound engineering at a corporate event. I go from one group of people to the next giving each the best version of myself, doing the best job I possibly can. I enjoy the variety that a freelance lifestyle brings, each week is new and different but this boundry-less existence can be dangerous. At times we don't know when to stop, or even how to stop. London-living is exciting but also tough, the pressure to survive, the pressure to achieve excellence feels at an all-time high so saying 'no' to a gig can seem impossible.

When God made the world, He didn't spend the 7th day building a few more mountains or adding more stars to the sky, He rested. Rest is crucial to our physical, but more importantly to our mental, well-being. We must remember to take ourselves out of the game, to reset and readjust. Get practical; book days off each week and stick to it. My prayer for us, as creatives, is that we make rest a priority. To fill our minds with peace and not the pressure of expectation. To connect with friends, family and most importantly with God, allowing Him into our world, into our creativity. So that He can remind us of who we really are, that we don't have to perform or be the best version of ourselves. We can just be.