There is a lot of focus on ideas like mindfulness and meditation lately, however, for Christians we don’t need to go and follow this trend, we just need to reconnect with God. By being able to bring our focus back to Him rather than try to make ourselves the center of our focus we are increasing our awareness of the world around us and allowing our life to be guided by faith.
Isn’t Giving Up Control Bad?
Our modern world tells us that we have to be in control of everything, we have to see it and then make it happen. Yet if we start our day with a powerful morning prayer we are changing our focus, allowing God to guide us to a better path. While you may think that following a certain path will lead you to the result you want, if you allow yourself to pause and start listening to what He is trying to tell you, you may find that there is a better option just waiting to be embraced.
Think about this example, say you really wanted to learn the piano as a child but never had the opportunity, so you make sure that your child gets the lessons, and practices – even though they aren’t interested and aren’t really making any progress. What if you pray about this, and ask God with an open mind and open heart? What you may find is that God starts showing you to encourage your child to take up violin, or tennis, or art, and that by restricting them to the piano you wanted to play you are holding them back from what God had planned out for them. You may also find that by listening with an open heart you are led to taking piano lessons yourself, and find a new way to worship and appreciate your Lord that would not have been possible if you had stayed stuck on the path that you in your wisdom had firmly believed was the right path.
Why Pray?
Prayer allows a reconnection with God, and more than anything else this can provide a positive mental change. In fact, scientific studies looking at the power of prayer for people with chronic illnesses who used prayer had positive transformations regarding their treatment (see here).
You are not leaving God to run your life for you, but you are trusting that God does know what he’s doing. Like a parent helping a child learn to ride a bike, God isn’t going to be doing the riding for you, but helping you balance and steer – if you are able to listen.
Why Start With A Morning Prayer?
Everyone has morning routines that help get your day started, and for most people skipping those routines throws your entire day out. Whether that is your morning coffee, reading the newspaper or going for a run, morning routines are important. Being able to start your day with a positive call to God sets your mind in the right sense of peace to create constructive change in your daily routine.
One thing to be careful of is that you are not complaining to God. Starting your day with a plea for God to make everything right in your world isn’t going to do you much good and will likely just mean you spend your day moaning about how life is unfair, and your prayers are going unanswered. Instead, focus your thoughts on being able to understand Gods directions throughout the day, to be able to feel His love when times are hard, and to be able to maintain your strong faith when the train is running late. If life is really hard at the moment, express your thanks that you have the strength to open your eyes in His light this morning, and ask for the power to grow stronger. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10547166
Bible Verses To Start Your Prayer
You know that the bible has the truth to your heart, so if you’re struggling to find the right way to start your morning prayer, use your bible to help. Here’s a few to get you started, just turn them into positive affirmations:
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God
Psalm 19:14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you.
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