Session 1 • Prayer • Activation
“In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” Psalm 5:3
Charles H. Spurgeon famously said, “Begin as you mean to go on, and go on as you began, and let the Lord be all in all to you.” In Mark 1:35 we read that Jesus got up early, while it was still dark, and sought out a solitary place where he could pray. For centuries, followers of Jesus have been intentional about beginning their day with God in prayer. By doing so we are acknowledging that we recognize this new day as a gift from God, one that we are willing to give back to him as an act of worship. Morning prayer can be a good opportunity to express gratitude, to bring our requests for the day before God and to surrender to his ways. Remember that prayer is freedom and form. Experiment with what works for you and enables you to experience and enjoy God.
Pete Grieg, founder of the 24/7 Prayer Movement suggests the following P.R.A.Y acronym as an easy way to frame a 10 minute prayer time:
Pause – sit quietly for a minute, stilling your soul. (1 minute)
Rejoice – read a short Psalm or listen to a worship song. (2 minutes)
Ask – Tell God what’s on your heart. Pray through your day. Pray for people who are on your mind and heart(3 minutes)
Yield – Read a few verses from the New Testament, until a phrase pops out at you and then talk to God about it. Are there any sins you need to confess? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh. (3 minutes)
Amen - Pray the Lord’s Prayer. (1 minute)
Other suggestions are listed below:
I am awake to a brand new day for living.
I drink in the sounds of the morning.
I soak in the light, the colors.
I notice the breath expanding in my lungs
I breathe deep and express gratitude
To the One who sustains me,
To the One who sustains the world.
I make space to greet you, Jesus.
I am yours and you are mine.
This is the day that you have made,
May I rejoice and be glad in it.
I open my hands to receive the gifts of today,
I open my heart to the unexpected.
May I journey with you through this day
May I notice you in the beautiful and the banal.
Let me see you in the faces of friend and stranger.
You have given me this day to live,
Now I offer it back to you as worship.
Let my life tell the story of who you are
And lead others into loving encounter with you.
Jesus, receive my trust.
Amen.
If we want to be able who become increasingly aware of God’s loving presence throughout our day, it may be helpful to create a rhythm of stopping in the middle of our day in order to turn our attention back towards God. Doing this reminds us that all time is sacred, since all time belongs to God. The average workday trains us to keep our minds fixed on tasks and productivity. Having a rhythm of prayer in the middle of our day creates a moment to reset and bring us back into realignment with God. It reminds us who God is and who we are. It can also be a wonderful opportunity to unburden ourselves from the cares of the day so far, or to pray for the needs of others that we have crossed paths with.
Remember that prayer is freedom and form. Experiment with what works for you and enables you to experience and enjoy God. There are a few suggestions below:
I intentionally stop.
I interrupt the flow of my day
And make space to notice you.
I remember that you are God
And that I am yours.
You are with me, even here, even now.
You are loving me as I am.
I turn my heart towards you.
Your breath is sustaining me
Your love is embracing me.
I invite you to bring me back into alignment
With your perfect will.
As I look to the remainder of this day
May the work of my hands be pleasing to you.
Jesus, receive my affection.
Amen.
“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8
For centuries, followers of Jesus have prayed at bedtime as a means of reflecting on the gifts of the day and releasing any anxiety or concerns to God before going to sleep. The Prayer of Examen, created by Ignatius of Loyola, was designed as a way for Christians to review their day with God, expressing gratitude, making confession, receiving God’s forgiveness and asking for grace to notice His presence more the next day.
Remember that prayer is freedom and form. Experiment with what works for you and enables you to experience and enjoy God. There are a few suggestions below:
As the light fades and this day draws to a close
I remember, with gratitude, the day’s gifts.
Thank you for the love and kindness I have received
Thank you for my physical body
Thank you that in joy and in hardship, you have been with me.
I confess that there have been moments in my day
When I have failed to recognize your presence
And failed to respond to your leading
Forgive me for any word or action that did not demonstrate your love
Forgive me for any way that I neglected to honor the dignity of others.
As I lay down to sleep, I unburden myself before you
I release the cares of the day and the concerns for tomorrow
And trust that you are working on my behalf.
May I now experience deep rest
May I awake tomorrow with a renewed spirit,
Ready to greet you and walk with you.
Jesus, receive my praise.
Amen.
Once you have developed a breath prayer you can begin to turn to it throughout your day - when you’re washing dishes, riding the subway, walking your dog, pushing your kid on the swings. Simply take a deep breath and turn your attention towards God.
If you don’t have a go-to breath prayer, you could pray something simple like, ‘Thank you Jesus that you are present with me now. I fix my eyes on you. I receive your love.’ Some people find it helpful to set an alarm on their phone at random intervals to remind them to turn the gaze of their heart towards God every couple of hours.
If you would like a more formal, liturgical way to pray, you might find it helpful to use The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle, which offers liturgy and scripture for each of the seven fixed hour prayers, practiced mostly by monastic communities, also known as The Daily Office.
For a more informal approach you might find it helpful to read Liturgy of the Ordinary, by Tish Harrison Warren.
There are several apps that can help you as you develop a daily practice of prayer. Some that we recommend are: