Prayer Garden

“Refresh.” That is the word that God gave me for 2026.

It sounds incredible, doesn’t it?

Then why does it feel so difficult?

A season of refreshing sounds like a vacation. It sounds like a time to be filled up instead of poured out which is exactly what I need. I’m fresh out of a battle against those who trafficked me as a child and taking them to court, and, to be honest, that season left me empty. It was a four year battle that was brutal all the way through. I am grateful for all God did during that season, and I am blessed to be on the other side of it.

However, accepting a season of refreshing has been difficult for me. It feels wasteful. God has blessed me with so much and to simply be still and allow Him to refresh me feels lazy and unfruitful. When my relationship with God was born out of seasons of battle and suffering, it feels uncomfortable to now sit in peace and blessing while all I must do is be still. I’m not being called at this time to fight, to push against injustice, to stand up for the oppressed. I’m not earning His love, I’m simply being asked to sit in it.

I felt so unworthy to receive His abundance of love without actively doing things to please Him. I was then reminded by a dear friend that sometimes all God asks of us is to be loved by Him. To sit in the love He lavishes on us. We aren’t loved because we are worthy, but because He chooses to love us. May I humbly accept His bountiful love in this season of peace and not reject it because I feel the need to earn it.

Fast forward to December 31 and I was sitting in the Presence of God enjoying sweet fellowship with Him when out of nowhere I felt in my spirit God say, “Make a prayer garden.” I sat there for a moment wrapping my mind around what I just heard. In all honesty, my first thought was “I am not healthy enough to make a prayer garden.” It’s never far from my mind the struggles I have physically since being diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2024. It sometimes takes all I have just to get out of bed for the day. My second thought was, “I don’t know how to garden.” My mind went to the indoor plants I have that are barely hanging on for dear life. I am not equipped to make any sort of garden. To add to it, why is a prayer garden something God would want me to do? It doesn’t feel important. I can pray anywhere, so why would God specifically want me to make a prayer garden?

Trust me, I threw all of these thoughts and questions at God and He lovingly gave me zero answer back.

Which actually made me smile. This is one of those leaps of faith. It doesn’t make sense to my human mind, but it is an ask from my Heavenly Father that I am not going to ignore.

Once I wrapped my mind around the idea of making a prayer garden I found myself extremely excited. I immediately began searching ideas online on what I could do in this prayer garden, and my imagination began to soar.

The blessing of this prayer garden was already starting. Just the excitement alone felt refreshing.

The excitement felt incredible, but I knew I couldn’t get carried away. I needed to remind myself that I am not being asked to expend more energy and to pour out what little I currently have, but instead to simply meet God in the garden. To spend time with Him there. To allow His creation to cleanse me and fill me up. This garden is to fill me up, not pour me out. I must accept that this is not going to Pinterest perfect but an intimate place for me and God to share.

On the days when I am physically able, I plan to get out in the backyard and begin planning the garden and preparing the ground. On days when I’m stuck in the house then I will create art that I can put in the garden to add my personal touch. It’s a prayer garden but also a garden of hope, love, and refreshing. A place that God wants to meet me there. To show His love to me. My heart is truly bursting with gratefulness. Who am I that God should love me like He does? Praise be to God.

My plan is to log the process here. To share the journey from start to finish and everything in between with you. Here’s to a green thumb and an open heart.