Think of the last time you jumped out of bed and started your day with a smile. Now look back at what made that morning work so well- what made the difference?
When it comes to morning prayer, it’s easier for things to go off the tracks than for your morning to go smoothly.
Why is that?
In my experience, our mornings are the result of our evenings the day before. I had one of these “good mornings” recently and it felt so good. I got up at the right time, my morning prayers went well and my workday seemed to just “flow”.
Most mornings get sidetracked as the result of the following:
- We stay up too late the night before. If you’re tired, you’re less likely to get up and get going in the morning.
- We don’t have a morning routine down. It’s a good idea to do the same things every morning in the same cadence- it cuts down on decision fatigue which can influence your desire to pray.
- We haven’t laid out our tools in advance. If you don’t know where you put your Bible and your journal, you are less likely to have a good experience of prayer.
- We lack a structure for our prayers. This is why the ACTS formula makes so much sense. It just works.
How are your mornings going lately? Which of the factors above can you improve on?