How do you start each day? With a cup of coffee? A trip to the gym or a bit of exercise? An early morning news broadcast? I’m sure you have a daily routine. If you don’t, I want to encourage you to begin one. I have discovered that a morning routine prepares me for the rest of day.
For me, I awake while everyone else in my house is still asleep. I like a quite house. I grab a cup of coffee, sit in the same seat every morning, practice reflective prayer by focusing on a passage of scripture or a theological concept, and then sit in silence for a period of time. Lastly, I will watch a morning news show to catch up on the events of the world. Granted, there is nothing fancy about this other than it is my routine. When I’m not able to start each day this way, the day is muddled, and I feel like I’m walking around disjointed.
When I think about routines, I think of Daniel 6:10 –
10 Daniel always prayed to God three times every day. Three times every day, he bowed down on his knees to pray and praise God. Even though Daniel heard about the new law, he still went to his house to pray. He went up to the upper room of his house and opened the windows that faced toward Jerusalem. Then Daniel bowed down on his knees and prayed just as he always had done.
Always, every day, just as he always had done…I like those descriptive words.
Routines sound mundane but they can be an anchor in a storm. When Daniel faced adversity, it was his prayers that sustained him. Prayers that were formed over multiple-routine-daily-moments. Three times a day, he prayed. It was a part of his life.
Here is my question for you: Do you perceive your life as out of control? If so, maybe you need a morning routine that grounds you and prepares you for the day ahead. Give it a try! All it takes is three months and it will become a daily habit.
This week’s reading:
- Monday – Romans 12
- Tuesday – Romans 13
- Wednesday – Romans 14
- Thursday – Romans 15
- Friday – Romans 16
Please Pray for:
- Our ministers and their families.
- Those who are unwillingly absent.
- The United Methodist Church family.
- Our nation and our leaders.
- The World.
- The Lost.