A Morning Prayer

My position is that prayer and Scripture reading are the two essential disciplines that must be mastered to live as a faithful follower of Jesus. Why? Because this is how we maintain a conversational relationship with the God who is. Through prayer, we speak with God; through Scripture, He speaks to us.

What about fighting sin? How can you do that without the Word and prayer? What about defending the faith? How can you without the Word and prayer? Isn’t preaching the most important thing? Without the Word and prayer, it’s impossible. What about succeeding in my business, parenting my kids well, or any other area of life? Without the Word and prayer, these things are impossible.

So today, I want to offer some help that I hope will kickstart a stronger prayer life for you.

I have developed the habit of praying as soon as I become aware that I’m awake in the morning. I don’t reach for my phone—I pray. I pray because I want to start my day by keeping God before me (Psalm 16:8). I also pray to connect my mind with reality—His mercies are renewed every morning, and that’s the nourishment my sin-troubled soul needs. I also like to pray in the morning to put my flesh on notice: I see you, I know you, and I don’t trust you. I’m trusting in God.

So whether I wake up refreshed or anxious, rested or exhausted, I begin each morning with a prayer of declaration. It’s personal to me, and you can craft your own to fit your circumstances. Mine is an amalgamation of Old Testament prayers, New Testament principles, and heartfelt devotion. It probably wouldn’t earn an “A+” in seminary, but in the lab of life, I can tell you this has been one of the most important disciplines I’ve developed. I only wish someone had told me sooner to focus on this. How about you?

Here’s a prayer I pray each morning:

“Blessed are You, King of the universe, Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth. Thank You for restoring my life to me and opening my eyes to a new day. Blessed are You, who gives me everything that pertains to life and godliness through the knowledge of You, who has called me into Your own excellence and glory. I stand now in Your presence for Your joy and delight, asking that as I have been loved by You, so show me how to love others today. As I have been forgiven, show me how to forgive. Grant me faith so that I might walk in Your ways. Shield me that I might be safe in You. May You be glorified in me today, my Light of salvation and the Hope of the nations.”

I’ll confess that I pray this in reverent fear because I know what I am capable of. A good day that doesn’t give God glory makes me a robber. A bad day, when the worst version of myself is revealed, makes me a betrayer of the One I love.

Presumption is the pathway to pain either way—when I presume upon the Lord, thinking I am strong enough to live out this prayer without actually praying, I have, by hard-won experience, set myself up for failure.

How many days have you lived and, in hindsight, wished you had done things differently?

Let me suggest that by starting your day with prayer, you align your heart, mind, spirit, and even your body with God’s will. This makes it much easier to live as the best version of yourself in Jesus.