20 Morning Prayers to Begin Your Day With Gratitude and Faith

20 Morning Prayers to Begin Your Day With Gratitude and Faith

Morning prayer to begin each day aligns our hearts and mind in thanksgiving, humility, and love for God! 

Need a daily prayer in your life? Browse this collection of prayers to find one you can use every morning.

"Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." ~ Psalm 143:8

Discover the benefits of praying in the morning and 20 beautiful prayers to start each day.

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

woman drinking morning cup looking peaceful

Prayer for First Thing in the Morning

Good morning, Lord!

Thank You for a new day. Thank You that Your compassion is renewed every morning. Great is Your faithfulness and Your steadfast love, O Lord!

I don’t know what all is going to happen today, and how much I’ll get done, but You do. So I give this day to You.

Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, Father. Energize me for Your work, because You know how tired these bones are. Awaken me to the wonder of Your salvation, and quicken my spirit to the reality of Your work in my life.

Lord, my mind is filled with creative ideas, but they’re all jumbled. Holy Spirit, come and hover over my mind like You hovered over the waters at creation and speak order out of the chaos! Help me to cease striving and to trust that You will give me all I need today to do the work You’ve given me to do.

You will be faithful to complete the good work You’ve started, and as I step out into my day, I declare Your sovereignty over every area of my life. I entrust myself to You and ask that You use me however You see fit.

This day is Yours. My body is Yours. My mind is Yours. Everything I am is Yours. May You be pleased with me today. Amen. -  Asheritah Ciuciu

Daily Prayer of Thanksgiving

Dear God, Thank you for your amazing power and work in our lives, thank you for your goodness and for your blessings over us. Thank you for your great love and care. Thank you for your sacrifice so that we might have freedom and life. Forgive us for when we don't thank you enough, for who you are, for all that you do, for all that you've given. Help us to set our eyes and our hearts on you afresh. Renew our spirits, fill us with your peace and joy. We love you and we need you, this day and every day. We give you praise and thanks, for You alone are worthy! In Jesus' Name, Amen. - Debbie McDaniel

Arise and Shine in My Heart

O Lord Jesus, Creator of all things, the light of the glory of the Father in heaven. I thank you for letting me see the light of a new day! Bright Sun of Righteousness, arise and shine in my heart, so that I may walk as a child of light as in the day, and finally see you in the eternal light of joy everlasting. Amen.

Source: Wilhelm Löhe. Freely adapted from Seed Grains of Prayer

Morning Prayer for Strength

Lord, I am weary and don’t know when this “race” will end in my life. I feel like I’ve been running forever, trying to outrun this trial. Help me to stop trying to outrun my pain but rather run with endurance the race you have set before me.

I know that because of you I am ultimately a victor over the trials in my life. I know that nothing in this world can separate me from your steadfast love. Please give me a measure of your love today; give me the strength to endure this trial.

Thank you for your love for me that never ends! And thank you for the crown of joy that awaits me forever in your Kingdom! - Adrian Rogers

Photo credit: © Getty Images/Jevtic


morning prayer

Morning Prayer of Psalms

From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! (Psalm 113:3)

Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! (Psalm 113:2)

Save Me, O God (Psalm 3)

O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God.

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill.

I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people! Amen

A Prayer for the Morning (Sixth Century)

O God, you have folded back the cover of the night to clothe us in the golden glory of the day.

Chase from our hearts all gloomy thoughts, and make us glad with the brightness of hope, that we may effectively aspire to promised virtues; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ~ Source: An Ancient Collect

A Thanksgiving for the Morning

O God, the God of spirits and of all flesh, you are beyond compare, and stand in need of nothing.

You have given the sun rule over the day, and the moon and the stars rule over the night, look down on us with gracious eyes, and receive our morning thanksgiving, and have mercy on us.

We have not “spread out our hands to a strange God;” for there is not among us any new God but you the eternal God. You are without end.

You have given us our being through Christ, and given us our well-being through him. Through him also give us eternal life; with him be glory, and honor, and worship to you and to the Holy Spirit forever. Amen. ~ Source: Apostolic Constitutions

Save this free PDF to your phone: Hope for Healing - Prayer and Scripture Guide

morning prayer sunrise

Morning Prayer of Daylight Strength

Dear Lord,

This daylight, upon waking and getting ready for my day, I pray that you give me strength today to be strong for You in this world full of temptations.

Lord, You know that there are struggles I will go through today. I pray that you are with me as I go through them. Carry me when I am too weak. If I stumble into temptation, forgive me, Father. Lead me away from them, Father. I need Your strength to overcome these evils.

When I triumph against them, I praise you, Father. Without You, I would not have life nor the strength to live. Bless my loved ones with the strength You have given me, Lord. You are worthy of all praise and worship. You are my strength and my protection.

Keep my family and me safe at all times, Lord, especially those in transit this morning.

In Your Son Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen. (from PrayWithMe.com)

Prayer For Spiritual Light

Almighty God, in you there is no darkness at all. Give us your eternal light. When we cannot see the way before us, may we continue to put our trust in you, that under your guidance and protection, we may be kept from falling this day, and finally, by your mercy, enter into our rest; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source of this version: Service and Prayers for Church and Home, Methodist Book Concern, 1918

A Morning Prayer

Almighty God, you fill all things with Your presence. In Your great love, keep us near You this day. Grant that we remember You in all we do and have the strength to live by Thy commandments. Help us to love one another as You love us and forgive our sins as we forgive our transgressors, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953

Photo credit: © Unsplash/Phil Thep

morning prayer gratitude

A Powerful Morning Prayer of Gratitude for Life's Blessing

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the blessings in my life. I confess that I haven’t stopped to give you thanks for the many ways you have blessed me. Instead, I’ve let problems take over my attention. Forgive me, Lord. You deserve all the gratitude I can give and so much more.

Each day seems to bring more problems, and the more I focus on them the more discouraged I become. Your Word teaches me the value of gratitude. In Psalm 50:23, you proclaim, “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” Help me remember this amazing promise and make gratitude a priority in my life.

Starting each day giving thanks to you for life’s blessings will renew my attitude toward any problems that happen. Gratitude is a powerful weapon against discouragement and hopelessness. Strengthen me, Lord, to resist distractions and focus fully on your goodness. Thank you for the greatest gift of all, your son Jesus Christ. In his name, Amen. (Kristine Brown)

Remembering Your Compassion Every Morning

Dear Lord, I need Your encouragement today.  I take this moment to remember Your faithfulness to me.  Thank you for providing my next breath and everything I need.  Thank you that Your compassions never fail; they are new every morning.  Give me the wisdom to recognize your compassion and love for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (Arlene Pellicane)

For Spirit Power Today

Dear Lord, You are all powerful. Please crush my insecurities and doubts so I will be an effective witness of Your strength. Cover me in Your Spirit today and equip me to fend off attacks from the Enemy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (Gwen Smith)

Our Morning Prayer

Dear Lord, I don't know who or what will cross my path today. But I do know that You are my Rock and my Fortress. You are my Shield and my Strong Tower. Help me to anchor myself to You today. Teach me how to stand strong in You and choose only Your way today. Help me walk by Your truth and not my feelings.

Help me to embrace anything that comes my way as an opportunity to see You at work and as an opportunity to point others to You.

Thank You that You love me and nothing can ever take that away from me! Even if I fail today and fall short, You whisper Your unconditional love deep into my soul and remind me that Your mercies are new every morning.

That truly amazes me, Lord.

Thank You for meeting with me today. Would You wake me again tomorrow with the same sweet whisper of Your love? I can't wait to meet with You again. In Jesus' Name, Amen. (Wendy Blight)

morning prayer courage

Morning Prayer for Courage

Lord, grant me tenacious winsome courage as I go through this day. When I am tempted to give up, help me to keep going. Grant me a cheerful spirit when things don't go my way. And give me the courage to do whatever needs to be done. In Jesus' name, Amen.

- Dr. Ray Pritchard

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7

Morning Prayer for Hope Today

Lord, help me to hear you saying, "I am your hope" over all the other voices. Lord, your word says, you are the hope for hopeless so I'm running to you with both hands stretched out and grabbing on to you.

Fill me up with hope and give me a tangible reminder today that hope is an unbreakable spiritual lifeline (Hebrews 6:19-20). God, you know those things in my heart that I barely dare to hope for, today I give them to you, I trust them to you, and ask that you because I know that you can do more than I could ever guess, imagine or request in wildest dreams (Eph 3:20).

God, you are my hope and I trust you. Amen. - Wendy can Eyck

Morning Prayer for God's Grace Daily

Lord, thank you for your abundant, abounding grace. Thank you that we don't have to earn a drop of the mighty river of grace that flows freely for us today. Thank you for the unexpected, unmerited favor you've showered on my life. Help me put myself in the path of your love and grace. Help me not neglect the disciplines I need to meet with you regularly and to drink from the water of life. Thank you for your rich love. Amen. - David Mathis

Prayer excerpts from the following sources:

18 Morning Prayers to Use Daily & Start Each Day with God, Crosswalk.com

9 Daily Morning Prayers To Brighten Your Day, PrayWithMe.com

Morning Prayers - A Collection of Prayers, acollectionofprayers.com

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/kieferpix, Credits for video audio, clips & photos: Soundstripe, Storyblocks, LightStock, ThinkStock


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