In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you. . . . Psalm 5:3 (NIV)
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Gail Thorell Schilling tells the
importance of spending quiet moment every morning, every the
busy-ness of life comes in and gets the better of us. This is a time
of reflection, of silence, of talking to God that lead us to His
grace. So if you spent some quiet moments this morning before going
to work or school and you felt at ease and at bliss, that's because
God is pouring you His blessings.
"My dear friend Sonya gave me the idea:
early-morning prayer. Her four children were older than mine, yet
somehow she had already learned how to beat the rush and scoop out a
quiet time before the children awoke.
At my house, where the children were
two, four, five and eight when I became a single mom, stress began at
daybreak—spilled cereal, pawing through the laundry basket for
matching socks, rushing to school, squabbling—and became worse as
the day roared on. After supper, homework, baths and bedtime stories,
I felt too frazzled for prayer and often fell asleep with my shoes
on.
Sonya, on the other hand, rarely seemed
stressed. Her tremendous faith, optimism and energy drew me to ask
her about her prayer practice. She eagerly shared her daybreak
routine and even gave me a devotional booklet to weave into my frayed
prayer life.
Though Sonya began her day at 4:00 am,
I lingered in bed until 5:00 am. Slowly, my quick talks with God
evolved into more intimate conversations. I recognized God's calming
presence in my daily routine and could relax just a bit more.
That was twenty-five years ago. These
days, my mornings are cathedral-quiet, and though I could enjoy
prayer time anytime I choose, I continue to cherish my morning
prayer. I brew my coffee, sit in Mom's old rocker, thank God for so
many blessings and let Him know what my friends and I need. I pray. I
listen. I read the Bible. And I watch the sun rise, knowing that no
matter what happens during the rest of the day, God and I are
together.
Heavenly Father, as the hymn says, 'morning by morning, new mercies I see.' I am grateful."
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