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 based in Western Washington. A remarried mother of four, she is navigating blended family life after losing her first husband to cancer in 2013. Through her writing and speaking, Heidi encourages those who have experienced loss, offering hope and practical guidance for the journey toward healing and renewed life.
She is the author of The Hard Journey to the Good: A Widow’s Journey from Loss to New Life, a heartfelt account of grief, faith, and rebuilding after devastating loss, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
You can find Heidi at her website mrsheidivegh.com where she shares devotionals and reflections on grief, healing, motherhood, faith, and the beauty and complexity of blended family life through her monthly newsletter. She holds a degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University and serves as Ministry Director at her local church, where she is passionate about helping women grow in faith and experience the transforming love of Jesus.
You can find her on Instagram @mrsheidivegh and SubStack: https://substack.com/
Related Resource: When Life Unravels: Biblical Strategies for Hard Seasons
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This week on Christian Parent/Crazy World, Catherine welcomes back her very first guest and trusted friend, Dr. Erin Barry, to help parents not only survive, but find hope and stability in life’s most turbulent moments. Dr. Barry is a clinical Christian counselor, author, homeschool expert, and co-founder of inseparableLives.com. Her biblically grounded wisdom comes from over 30 years of walking families through the storms of life.
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Originally published Tuesday, 01 October 2024.
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