Morning Rhythms
For the past decade, I have worked at an elementary school. The school year is as much a rhythm for me as the four seasons. So as September quickly approaches, my mind and body anticipate the routines and rhythms that come with a school year calendar. This year, however, I will not be entering the school year. Instead, I will be anticipating a move. I will be moving from the town I have lived in for the past 36 years. Everything will be new and different. And as I anticipate so much change, I long to develop some routines to take with me. Some constants, some habits that will ground me and anchor me.
Val Marie Paper holds their annual prayer journal launch in August which is the best time to get one. These prayer journals have been an investment in my spiritual journey that I am willing to make each year. They keep me focused and simplify my prayer time so that it is too easy to make excuses not to pray.
This year they came up with an idea for “the Morning Watch Club.” The reference is from Psalm 5:3, “O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” The Watch refers to when city walls were guarded. The guards took shifts throughout the night to keep the city safe. Approximately every four hours, the guards would change. So this morning guard shift would have been sometimes between 4am and 8am. The idea behind “the Morning Watch Club” is to rise early to meet with God in prayer. Prayer is both a weapon against the attacks of the evil one but also a shield of protection. In prayer, we commune with the Living God, drawing close to Him with the desire to think, live, and be like Him. We pour out our deepest thoughts and emotions. We surrender our burdens and take up our cross. We enter boldly, yet humbly, before the throne of Grace. There is so much power in prayer beyond the simple murmured requests we often rush through. I have realized lately that though I’d like to describe my prayer life like this, it is more like mumbled requests here and there. That’s why I’m captivated by this idea of waking up early to meet with Jesus in the quiet hours that historically are the early morning watch. For me, this is a time when the house is quiet and still. The distractions are fewer and if I commit to this time right away in the morning, I am less likely to skip it or get side tracked by the many other things grabbing for my attention.
Summer is a season that lacks rhythm and routine. But as I enter the autumn season, I’d really like to build a morning and evening routine. My brain and body function better within this sort of structure. For September, my goal is to establish a morning routine.
Typically during the school year my morning routine looks like this:
Wake up.
Oral hygiene and wash my face
A large glass of warm water and prep my coffee
Yoga
Scripture reading/studying
Journal/prayer time
Breakfast
Get ready for work
This structure works well for me because one thing sort of bleeds into the next rather seamlessly. I start to heat the water in the electric kettle and as it’s heating up I scrape my tongue, brush my teeth, and wash my face. By the time I’m finished the water is ready. I drink warm water in the morning and I use the French Press for my coffee. So while the coffee steeps, I do a short 15-20 minute yoga practice. Sometimes, I add in a breath prayer, other times it is just the movement to start awakening my body and stretching out any stiffness.
Yoga is a good way for me to prepare my body and mind for focus and stillness, so doing my Bible reading and study just after yoga is helpful. Sometimes, I will pause for a short meditation practice before moving on to study Scripture. Although prayer often infiltrates the time I spend reading and studying Scripture, I usually try to follow up with more concentrated time as I work through any prayer lists that I may have. For me, Val Marie Paper Prayer Journals have been the best way for me to keep track of those lists and remembering what I want to pray for. They have an outline to fill in each month. Sections include: Nation/World, Community, Church, Personal, Heavy, Friends, Family, Goals, etc. Each month you fill out what you’d like to pray for in each section.
There are a few different options and while I enjoyed the writing space in her Signature journals, I am returning to the Rhythms journal this year. It overall is the one that helps me to be most consistent and grounded in prayer. (She also has a Compose journal which is a smaller, simpler version for those who want to try out the format before investing in a more expensive journal.) There are other options from other companies. Wholehearted has a journal that includes sermon notes, prayer journal, hospitality practice, Scripture reading plans all in one notebook. Initially, I liked the idea of having everything in one notebook. And perhaps that will work well for you. But I realized that it was just too cumbersome and I quickly ran out of space for some things and didn’t fully utilize other aspects of the notebook. I like having designated notebooks and journals for each aspect of my quiet time with Jesus.
Finally, I make breakfast before getting ready for work. Usually during this time, I listen to an audiobook or podcast. Occasionally, my prayer time will spill over into making breakfast as well.
During this past summer, my routine somewhat fell apart. So, my September goal is to return to this routine. Starting small and simple with my “Morning Watch” time in prayer. My simplified plan is to set a timer and pray through just one or two sections of my prayer journal. And my small step toward getting back into a rhythm of reading and studying Scripture: listen to audio Bible while I brush my teeth and prep my coffee (90 days in the Gospel plan); and learn to utilize the concept of verse mapping. I also want to incorporate memorizing Scripture into my routine so I will be working on one verse a week. Each morning I will “verse map” that week’s memory verse on an index card and place the card in a visible spot, such as the bathroom mirror, above the kitchen sink, in the car, that sort of thing. My thought is to keep my mind on that verse throughout the week.
What do your mornings look like? What would your ideal morning look like? What are some small steps you could take to add prayer and time in Scripture with Jesus into your morning rhythm this fall?
