The Benefits of Morning Prayer
Morning prayer is to orient our hearts and mind to God as we begin our day. By praying when we awake, we attend to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
What we do in the morning significantly impacts our outlook and mood throughout the rest of the day. Starting our mornings with prayer enables us to live with faith and serenity in God's grace. Praying for gratitude and humility helps us uphold virtue in our daily tasks and interactions.
It is common to get distracted, frustrated, or in a rush, especially in the morning, but praying to God upon waking gives us peace to better approach each day. We are much more resilient against the temptation to sin when we begin each day seeking the grace and mercy of God!
Morning Prayer Bible Verses
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. Psalm 5:3
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24
"Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19
"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:6
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." James 5:16
Read more Bible verses about prayer.
A Morning Prayer
Lord, may nothing separate me from You today. Teach me how to choose only Your way today so each step will lead me closer to You. Help me to walk by Your Word and not my feelings. Help me to keep my heart pure and undivided. Protect me from my own careless thoughts, words, and actions. And keep me from being distracted by MY wants, desires, and thoughts on how things should be.
Help me to embrace what comes my way as an opportunity...rather than a personal inconvenience.
And finally, help me to live in the truth of Psalm 86:13, "Great is your love toward me." Amen. ~ by Lysa Terkeurst
For Light to Follow You: Prayer from 440 AD
O Lord, direct our steps this day into the way of peace and strengthen our hearts to obey your commandments. May the Dayspring visit us from on high and give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, that they may adore you for your mercy, follow you for your truth, desire you for your sweetness, for you are the blessed Lord God of Earth, now and forever. Amen.
Source: Ed. Wilbur Patterson Thirkield, Methodist Book Concern, 1918
Morning Thanksgiving
God, we give you sincere thanks for the rest of the past night and the gift of a new day, with its opportunities to serve you. Grant that we may so pass its hours in the perfect freedom of your service, that in the evening, we may again give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Source: Daybreak Office of the Eastern Church
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