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Since the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath, I always tend to think that those who observe the Sabbath will be blessed. In my own life, I’ve seen this to be true. A couple of years ago, my husband decided we needed to observe the Sabbath with more intention.

His goals were simple:

• Take a day to rest.
• Have no obligations.
• Make the day an intentional time to focus on the Lord.
• Make the day an intentional family day.
• Let our teenage boys practice giving a devotion to the family.
• Engage in worship centered around hymns.

This was all very intentional, and a day was chosen in advance so we could prepare for the Sabbath. Because let’s be honest... moms with young children never really rest! They’re constantly cooking, cleaning, and managing the household. For our family of 10, a day without cooking or leaving the house takes some serious preparation.

The day before Sabbath, we:

• Prepare meals that just need to be baked using disposable pans.
• Use mostly disposable dishes for the day—thank you, Dollar Tree!
• Do a decent cleaning.
• Ensure the laundry is done and put away.
• Have the teens prepare their devotions.
• My husband gets the music ready.

On Sabbath, we actually:

• Genuinely rest.
• Avoid screens.
• Sit for devotions.
• Sing hymns.
• Play family games.
• Enjoy each other as a family.
• Remember who God is and why we serve Him.

Why do we do this?

• We believe the Bible supports the idea.
• It seems to be for our benefit.
• God exampled weekly rest in the creation story.

Is Sabbath rest necessary? For salvation, maybe not. But for a Christ-centered, focused life where you are well-rested and working with great purpose for the Lord—maybe!

Thank you so much for sharing your time with us. Cedar Creek Ministries is funded by Christians and churches who believe in the call to offer our leaders the double portion!  If you feel the desire to make sure all those men and women called to serve God in missions and ministry have everything they need to personally rest, restore family relationships, and revive ministry vision, consider joining us in regular prayer and financial support!

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This post was written by Nickole Perry, co-founder and Director of Operations at Cedar Creek Ministries.