Morning Prayer
Good morning, Lord. Before the day begins to pull at us, we want to start right here with You, thankful simply to be awake and alive. Thank You for the gift of breath in our lungs, for the light coming through the window, and for the mercy that met us again before we even opened our eyes. Whatever this Friday holds, we know it comes from Your hand, and we receive it with gratitude.
Today we ask for the joy that is found only in Your presence. Not the kind of happiness that rises and falls with good news or a smooth schedule, but the deep, steady gladness that comes from knowing we belong to You. As we head into our work, our errands, and our conversations, help us notice that You are with us in every one of them. When the week’s weariness catches up with us, let Your joy be our strength. When small irritations try to steal our smiles, remind us how much we have been given. Open our eyes to the simple delights You scatter throughout an ordinary day: a kind word, a shared laugh, a warm cup in our hands, a moment of quiet in the middle of the noise.
Help us carry that joy to others, too. Let it spill over into patience with our families, encouragement for our coworkers, and kindness toward strangers who may be quietly struggling. May the people we meet today sense something of Your goodness in us, not because we are trying hard to appear cheerful, but because we have spent time in Your company and come away refreshed. Walk with us, Lord, from this first moment until the last. We give You this day and trust You to fill it. Amen.
A Word of Reflection
The psalmist discovered a truth that still holds for every believer: “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:11, KJV) Joy, in Scripture, is not something we manufacture by forcing a positive outlook. It flows naturally from being close to God, the way warmth comes from standing near a fire. That is why beginning the morning in prayer matters so much; it places us in His presence before the day has a chance to scatter us. Even when circumstances are heavy, the fullness of joy He offers can sit right alongside our sorrows and quietly outlast them. As we step into this day, may we keep returning to Him, and find our hearts made glad again and again.
—
