Our day of multi-media information media frenzy has left us in a tail-spin.
Even for those of us who choose to follow the footsteps to the Father, it is hard to know where the path begins. So many options. So much noise.
Before we enter the random stream of Twitter feeds and morning news, we can choose to start our day in a sacred space.
Jesus Started His Day with Prayer
We don’t need to look any further
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Mark 1:35 (NIV)
For many years, I resisted the routine of morning prayer. It seemed legalistic to have rules like that. Why should we force ourselves into such an archaic habit? We will get there when the “Spirit leads”. In other words, we will pray when we feel like it. Or Not.
But in fact, the voice of God is a “still, small, voice.” In general, that Voice will not scream through the noise of our crazy, news-feed driven lives. (1 Kings 19:11-12). If we do not settle ourselves down, away from the chaos, we will not hear it.
So I have learned to make a habit of setting aside the first moments of every day to listen for that voice. But once you get up, make the coffee, and find a quiet place to sit, with a Bible in your hand, now what?
Create a Flexible Habit
I started with random. Just open the book and start reading. And certainly, that is better than not even showing up! Pray a little, read a little. Daily devotions done and done! But eventually I realized this was a one sided conversation. Somehow, it didn’t seem that the Spirit was coming to the party.
I am learning that God is a relational God. He created us not to judge us or destroy us but to walk with us. It is in the morning that I reach out to Him and He reaches to me. Of course, this can happen any time of the day. But if we start in the morning, our whole day is blessed by that conversation.
I still hear the song from my childhood, sung by Anne Murray.
I come to the garden alone
Songwriters: C. Austin MilesIn the Garden lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear,
falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses
And He walks with me
And He talkswith me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known
So how do we intentionally create space in our morning for the sacred?
There are as many answers to that as there are Christians seeking to walk with God. Here is the pattern I am currently using, based on teachings of Luther and Wesley, but modified over time to fit me. The exact pattern is not important. But plan it in advance so you are not wandering around in the dark before you even have your coffee!
Invocation
I start my morning by asking the Spirit to be present. I invite Him to speak to me, to lead me. If He is not here, this is not a sacred space. I don’t need to feel
Jesus’ perfect example of Invocation began with :
Matthew 6:9–10 (NIV):
Our Father in heaven,
Matthew 6:9-10(NIV)
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
The Message translates the Lord’s prayer this way:
Our Father in heaven,
Matthew 6:9-10(Message)
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—as above, so below.
This is your time to align your will with God’s. He is right. He is Holy. He is Powerful. I want to walk on His path, not ask Him to walk on mine.
Divine Reading – Psalms
The Psalms are the prayer book of the Bible. David and others poured their hearts and their prayers into the songs and poems of the Psalms. The rest of the Bible is important for many reasons. But every day, I need to be taught how to pray.
So I read one Psalm a day, starting at the beginnng. You may find favorites that you go back to when they match your need for that day. But you won’t discover those favorites if you don’t just start at the beginning.
The trick is to read the Psalm with intention. Follow the teaching of Lectio Divina, or divine reading. Reading slowly and carefully, seek one phrase or verse that makes you pause. Is it a new way to think? A change of heart? A way to celebrate? Stay there and consider it. Ask the Spirit to amplify it to you. Sometimes He will give you something new. Sometimes the scripture itself is enough.
Don’t feel a compulsion to finish the whole chapter. If you have found your gem for the day, sit still and enjoy it for a while. You can finish the chapter tomorrow.
Daily Bible Reading
The next part of my morning is Bible reading, outside of the Psalms. Again, I choose a book of the Bible and read one or two chapters. I don’t choose randomly. I start a book and finish it. It might take me a month to read
We need exposure to the whole word of God, not just our favorite parts. We choose slow methodical reading. You are not reading for study, but for meditation.
Select a book and slowly work all the way through it, possibly reading only a few verses in a day. When you find a place that is hard, or hits home, stop and meditate on it. Ask God questions about it. Ask yourself if something in your life needs to change. If so, make a note. If it creates a request in your heart, make a note. Stop, slow down, consider. This is God speaking to you. What is he saying?
Prayer
My whole morning has been a time of prayer, guided by scripture. But now we pray guided by our own heart. We share with the Spirit what amazes us, what worries us, our dreams and our concerns.
Back in Sunday
Back to worship
I always try to end my morning sacred time with worship. This is the weakest of my spiritual muscles and I need to exercise it daily. By ending my morning time with worship, I start my mundane day with a heart of praise, aligned to God’s power and purpose.
