Any morning prayer routine can radically change the course of your day. Starting the day with God in prayer helps to set the tone for the day.
What should our morning prayer time look like? Our prayers should include praises to God, confession of our sins, giving thanks to God, and presenting our requests to God.
This is the prayer method most of us have learned in church and it follows Jesus’ example from the Lord’s Prayer. It’s known as the ACTS method of praying: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication.
Let’s focus on supplication.
Supplication is presenting our requests to God. Most of us are pretty good at this. Matter of fact, this probably makes up the bulk of our prayer time most days.
I often find myself going to God in prayer because I need to pray for something or someone. Because of my focus on this pressing need, I rush through the other steps – adoration, confession, and thanksgiving.
Bad idea.
Focusing so intently on what I need from God puts too much focus on me.
God is here for us and the Bible tells us “present our requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Please do not think I’m saying your supplications are wrong or selfish.
What I am saying is this: ignoring adoration, confession, and thanksgiving puts you at risk of not being in the correct frame of mind when you pray.
Worship and intercession must go together; one is impossible without the other.
Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
Morning Prayer Routine Change #1
Before praying, spend time organizing your thoughts on paper.
For “adoration”, write down praises to God for who He is, what He has done, and for what He is going to do.
Next, for “confession”, spend time in honest, humble reflection. Write down your sins.
Then, for “thanksgiving”, take a moment to write down and acknowledge your blessings.
Finally, make a list of things to pray about.
Use this list as an outline for a fuller and richer morning prayer time.
Morning Prayer Routine Change #2
During supplication, particularly in the morning as we pray about the day ahead, we tend to focus on what God can do for us. “Keep us safe.” “Calm my nerves before my big presentation.” “Help Sally do well on her test.”
Again, these prayers are good. God knows what we need before we ask, but we are still to pray for these things (Matt. 6:8).
Suggestion: as you are asking God for what you need from Him today, take time to ask God what He needs from you today.
Whoa! That’s an abrupt shift in thinking, isn’t it?!
God is here for us and we can count on him to “never leave (us) or foresake (us)” as it says in Deuteronomy 31:6. He loves us unconditionally and we can trust that He is working all things for our good (Romans 8:28).
But let’s not forget… God does not exist to glorify us and do our will. We exist to glorify God and to do His will.
Let me say that again…
God does not exist to glorify us and do our will. We exist to glorify God and do His will.
In your morning prayer routine, take the time to ask God what He needs from you today. Take time to reflect. This change in your prayer time will have a radical effect on the way you go through your day.
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