Morning Prayers - Arends

A friend confessed the other day:  "I'm not a Christian before 10am."  As a fellow night owl (read: anti-morning person), I had to laugh.  But her teasing confirmed in me something I have been suspecting for some time now:  If there is a "secret" to being an intentional disciple of Jesus, it's talking to him in the morning--even before the first dose of caffeine.  A day that is begun in conversation with God (before feet hit the floor) unfolds entirely differently than a day that is not.  Maybe that's obvious to most people, but it's taken me a very long time to learn, and it seems to be taking me even longer to consistently put it in practice.

There is this from C.S. Lewis:

"The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind." (Mere Christianity)

And this from the Psalmist:

 ¹ Give ear to my words, O LORD,

       consider my sighing.

 ² Listen to my cry for help,

       my King and my God,

       for to you I pray.

 ³ In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;

       in the morning I lay my requests before you

       and wait in expectation.

(Psalm 5:1-3)

Grumpy and groggy, I am learning to pray in the morning.  It's amazing how, when I do, a day I am merely trying to survive transforms into a day that the Lord has made.  Now and then, I've even found myself rejoicing and being glad.  Prayer (and then, caffeine) ... breakfast of champions!

www.carolynarends.com

• November 4 -- North Vancouver, BC -- Lynn Valley Full Gospel
• November 5 -- Victoria, BC -- Gateway Baptist Church
• November 6 -- Coquitlam, BC -- Blue Mountain Baptist
• November 7 -- Langley, BC -- North Langley Community Church
• November 11 -- Swift Current, SK - Trailview Alliance Church
• November 12 -- Saskatoon, SK -- Elim Tabernacle
• November 13 -- Winnipeg , MB -- Eastview Community
• November 14 -- Thunderbay, ON -- St. Andrews
• November 19 -- Rockland, ON -- St. Patricks School
• November 20 -- Arnprior, ON -- First Baptist
• November 21 -- Ottawa, ON -- Metropolitan Bible Church