An outdoor breakfast in the middle of an Iowa summer is one of the best ways to start the day. The fogginess of sleep lifts as two blue jays perching on the deck railing chirp and bob their bodies up and down, as if dancing to their own song. Sunlight shimmers in the trees as the wind waves with leaves of green. The flowers, blooming so bright, easily capture and hold the attention span of anyone not yet buzzing with caffeine.
Sometimes, if I sit very still and quiet, an additional morning companion joins me. A chubby squirrel, eager for a belly full of peanuts, scales the side of my house and squeezes underneath the deck railing. Warily glancing at me, he pursues his breakfast quest. Stretching and reaching, even turning himself upside down at times, he retrieves peanut after peanut from the feeder. We study each other between our morning mouthfuls. Does he pray and ponder the day ahead as I do? Unlikely. But, seeing him up to his whiskers in peanuts while holding his furry paws in a prayerful pose, I like imagining that he does.
The new day’s beauty brings this Bible verse to mind:
This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 NLT
I consider these words and wonder what the Bible says about mornings. How does Scripture invite us to start the day?
Begin with Gratitude
This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 NLT
Let’s start with the verse that first came to mind for me. Truly, there are some days when we do not feel like rejoicing. Life gets crazy, our moods fluctuate, and problems overwhelm us. In reading through the Psalms of the Bible, it is clear the writers understood how hard life is. They are not simply proponents of putting on a “happy face”. They honestly tell God about their trouble and then proclaim reasons to rejoice in spite of suffering.
This Scripture reminds us we have been given this day TO LIVE. Through our trust and hope in God’s goodness, we can find joy in the blessings we do have. Beginning the day with thankfulness helps us appreciate everything God provides.
Accept Forgiveness
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT
Some days it is hard to get started because we feel so weighed down by past mistakes. God’s unconditional love for us, however, never ends. Each day is a new beginning — a fresh start with forgiveness. If we offer up our sadness, struggles, and sin to him, he promises to restore us. He hurts when we hurt. Using all of our experiences, he faithfully teaches us and crafts our pain into something good. Remembering God forgives our past mistakes allows us to pursue each day looking for new opportunities to love him and others.
Pursue Direction
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Psalm 143:8 NIV
In the morning, when our minds have fewer distractions, we gain deeper insights than at busier times during the day. Reading Scripture and praying in the morning helps us grasp new meaning in his promises and find fresh guidance for our journeys. Like other relationships, our connection with God grows stronger as we devote more time and energy to it. Starting the day with God develops a strong relationship, which ultimately makes us more attentive to his direction throughout the day.
Make Requests
Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3 NLT
Laying our requests out before God, first thing in the morning, helps us release our own inclination to worry and control situations. Trusting God to do what is best allows our minds to work on the things we can do something about. Wisdom is learning to discern what we cannot control, letting go, and watching expectantly for God’s good in our requests.
Demonstrate Worship
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35 NIV
Jesus modeled reverence or deep respect for God through morning prayer. For him, prayer was more than just a time to let God know his feelings and make requests. It was also a time to worship and strengthen a trusting relationship. So even in the midst of chaos, Jesus prioritized time for praising and listening to God. His devotion to prayer showed the relationship with his Father came before anything else. A regular practice of morning worship demonstrates an all encompassing love for God — a love poured out of the heart, soul, and mind.
It’s interesting, isn’t it, how just a handful of Scriptures can lay a solid foundation for the day? We can always get something out of the Bible, even if we don’t read it cover to cover. We can pick a topic we are curious about, like “morning”, and investigate.
In a way, exploring the Bible for new discoveries is similar to the mornings I spend on my deck. I see a lot of the same things. Many characters make return visits. But, if I am alert and aware, I also notice something different than the morning before. It could be the ants marching in line to the hummingbird feeder, a different birdsong in the woods, or just the fact that my windows need a good cleaning. Whatever it is, it makes me smile as I realize this practice of searching for something new brings me joy.
No matter how chaotic the world becomes, this day is ours TO LIVE. This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.
Press on in faith my friends! ~Jamie
There are more Scriptures that reference mornings and how to start our days. They can all be found using the concordance (a list of alphabetical important words) in the back of your Bible.
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Note: I took the photos used in this post in Iowa, USA
Found this on Google this morning while reading the word and having praise and Worship,so glad I did. I have been truly blessed by it 🙏🏿 👐🏿🙌🏿 👐🏿🙌🏿👐🏿…the pic’s as well, also a nature watcher 🫶🏿
Thank you for letting me know that, Gwendolyn. I’m so glad to hear it. God does certainly touch our hearts through the gifts of nature! Blessings to you!
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Jamie,
Thanks for your inspiring words and beautiful photos!
I don’t often leave a comment when I read your reflections, but I am always encouraged and lifted. Thank you for sharing yourself and your faith–
Linda Wilson 🙂
Thank you Linda, I appreciate you encouraging me and being a sounding board for some of my ideas. Enjoy the nice weekend ahead!
Thank you, Jamie for laying our such life-applicable Scripture to begin our day. I, too, cherish the morning time with Our Lord. It is like none other. May God bless you this evening, Julie
Thank you for reading and commenting Julie! I so appreciate having the company of other writers in “the office” with me 🙂