A Prayer to Begin Your Day with Purpose and Joy - Your Daily Prayer - October 1

A Prayer to Begin Your Day with Purpose and Joy 
By Heidi Vegh 

Bible Reading
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” - Romans 15:13

Listen or Read Below:

How we begin our days is so important. I find for myself that if I begin my day scrolling needlessly on my phone before even getting out of bed, I start my day feeling guilty and unproductive. Our phones, although can be used for God’s purposes, have a way of sucking life out of us before our feet even hit the ground. The things we do at the beginning of our days can have an impact on how the rest of our days go. If we wake up groggy, stare at a screen, and then immediately jump into the day's tasks without spending time in silence with the Lord, it can set our minds and hearts in a direction we may not want.

Understandably, not everyone can sit in stillness before the day begins, many things can vie for our attention before we even open our eyes. Babies, small children or pets can easily catapult us into the day's activities well before we are ready. So what can we do if that stillness is unavailable to us on some days? We can pray.

We can pray as we sit up, swing our feet over the bed, and pray while we walk to the bathroom or grab our baby from the crib. We can ignore the pings and immediately begin thanking God for the new, fresh day ahead of us. We can thank God for the breath in our lungs and the lungs of our family because those breaths indicate  purpose for all of us. If there is breath in our lungs we are here for a reason. We can play worship music as we make breakfast or get ready. Ask God to give you simple things you can add to your morning routine that incorporate Him into the tasks calling your name in those early hours of the day. 

Remember that even if your day begins with chaos and phone time, we can always turn it around. His mercies are new every morning (and every afternoon and evening) (Lamentations 3:22-23). The Lord has a purpose for each of our days, and He wants us to be filled with His joy. This can seem impossible when we wake up and immediately remember all the hard things that we are facing. Grief, loss, financial difficulty, parenting stress, job stress, you name it. 

How can we combat worry and hardship immediately? We go to the Lord. When our early morning minds flood with all the things….we surrender. Right then. Right there. It doesn’t mean that the problems will disappear but it means that we start our days with our hearts in the right place. We start our day with peace in our hearts knowing God is in control of all of it. 

Let’s Pray:

Lord, thank you for this beautiful, fresh new day. Thank you for the shining sun, the chirping birds, and the fresh air in my lungs. Thank you despite the worry that woke me up or the gut punch of loss that came to mind. Thank you for all the plans and purposes that you have for me. Give me vision and wisdom as I make decisions. Even when I wake up to chaos, give me nudges of your sweet direction as I amble through the morning. Teach me to trust you with everything that is on my to-do list today. Gently lead me to the next thing to do and help me to listen to your voice. I long to live with purpose and joy in my heart. I know that true joy and purpose can only come from you. Show me where I am leaning on the world for peace and joy. Show me what I am focusing on in the morning hours that negatively affect my days. I want to live in full trust of whatever you have for me. Please fill me with the fullness of joy that you promise in your Word. Fill me with your Holy Spirit as I go about my day, reminding me that I am loved and created for a purpose, even when the tasks in front of me seem mundane. Help me to remember to work for the Lord in all that I do. (Colossians 3:23)
In your precious name, I pray, amen.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/artplus

Heidi Vegh is a writer, speaker, and ministry leader living in Western Washington. She is a remarried mother of four, navigating the blended family life after the loss of her first husband to cancer in 2013. She longs to use her writing as a way to encourage others who have experienced loss and guide them on the road to healing. She contributes to her blog found at www.mrsheidivegh.com , sharing stories and devotionals of faith stemming from her loss and healing, mothering, and her blended and complex family. She graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in Creative Writing and English and is working on her first book. Heidi is the Women’s Ministry Director at her local church and has a deep heart for sharing Jesus with women and encouraging them in their faith walk. When she is not writing, she loves to travel, read, craft, and experiment in the kitchen. Visit her Facebook and Instagram (@mrsheidivegh) to learn more.

Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.

Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith

Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going. 

Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.

Now that you've prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below!