Do you ever wake up with so much on your mind that you are already worried about the day? Do you dream (or have nightmares) of the work you need to do or the plans you need to accomplish? Does your to-do list feel more like an impossibility list? These can all lead to a point of dread, fear, anxiety and depression. We go to bed concerned and wake up worried. This can be a miserable way to live.
There are many tips offered to help organize and get us on track. There are best practices which are offered to help alleviate our load. But in today’s Psalm, the ultimate best way to start became evident to me. The Psalmist cries out to the Lord, and in the morning, prayer comes before him.
Before we begin our to-do lists, before worry makes a home in us, before we even say good morning to the day – begin your day with prayer to God. It seems so simple. We’ve heard it so many times. This is not necessarily a new revelation. But so many of us don’t begin our morning this way. We get up and move right into our day. There are things to do and it seems only natural to get in gear. But what if we simply spent time with God before we ever got started? What if we let God know our worries, our anxieties and our fears before they ever became engrained in our heart? God is our creator. He knows how much we suffer. He knows how much we worry. He understands our fears. And he is with us through it all. We do not need to carry all of these burdens alone. The Lord offers to carry them for us, all in his most powerful love.
Make a morning prayer your offering to the Lord. It may just change your outlook on the entire day.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 88:3
3 But I, O Lord, cry out to you;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 