Morning prayer is something that I now can do on a regular basis. I’ve been trying for a while, but now it is just part of my daily routine. In the early morning I really don’t need anything, but I think it’s a good time to appreciate the Lord.
From evening prayer to dawn’s affirmation of God’s power, this is a time most of us take for granted. Now, after some practice, it’s easy to thank God for seeing me through the night. It is so appropriate to ask him to order my steps, guide my thoughts, bless and protect those whom I love and show some appreciation for just letting me awaken to another day of the precious gift of life.
If you allow yourself to concentrate on what God has done for you on any given day, it will become obvious that He is here and now, here today working wonders on your and my behalf.
At the end of today, take a moment and reflect on those things that show you God was walking with you all day. Remember, you didn’t have to wake up this morning. Some people didn’t.
If you drove, flew or took mass transportation and arrived safely, you might want to give God some credit because accidents do happen. You may have even passed a wreck or two on the way in. Do you remember seeing anyone in need of food, in dire need of just a few dollars, homeless or without clean clothes?
The world is full of disasters that may have missed you, your loved ones or where you live. No flood. No fires. No snowstorms, tornadoes, no bombs, no nothing; just an uneventful regular day.
While I’m at it, how’s your family? Are your kids healthy? Did you talk to anyone whose mess is all-encompassing? Did you feel the pressure they’re under?
God’s hand is everywhere, and He starts with you. Just stop for a minute and take a look. I guarantee you’ll see time and again the presence of the eternal almighty God at work in your life, right now, today.
Once you realize God is present all the time, then morning prayer becomes morning praise. For me, once I understood the reality that God held my hand today and every day, “Thank you” seemed to be a natural thing to say.
“Thank you, Father, for seeing me through the night. Stay with me and remind me during the course of this day so that I can do something, say something that will acknowledge your infinite blessings upon me. Let me do something today to make you proud and shows you my appreciation for allowing me to wake up.”
How can I take my consciousness for granted ever again? There’s a reason my eyes were opened, and I had nothing to do with it. The very least I can do is appreciate the One responsible and look for purpose after that.