I love to watch the sunrise, though I’m seldom up early enough to see it. It signals the dawning of a new day with fresh possibilities. I wonder if Jesus often watched the sunrise. We know that sometimes He got up while it was still dark to head to the mountain to pray.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying.
Mark 1:35 CSB
Prayer was very important to Jesus. He spent all night in prayer before He chose His disciples. Often He went to a deserted place to pray. Then the night He was betrayed He spent time struggling in prayer. If our Lord made prayer such an important part of His life, then perhaps it’s a good example for us to follow.
PRAYER AT SUNRISE OR WHENEVER YOU RISE
Whether watching the sunrise, lying in bed or starting your day, prayer is always appropriate. When I begin the day with prayer it puts my focus on God. It helps me to have a better perspective on the day. When trials and interruptions come I am more prepared to pray for wisdom rather than just react.
Here is a prayer I wrote a few years ago to be used in the early morning time:
Early Morning Prayer
This early morning I need grace to prepare for the day.
My desire is for a heart that longs to please You.
I am Your child, Oh God, and I ask You please to grant these requests.
Because of your faithfulness, I can trust that You will answer.
You have told us in Your Word to ask and we will receive.
You care for the birds but tell us we are much more valuable than they.
I ask to be filled with an abundance of peace and joy.
I want to be a light to those around me pointing them to You.
Help me find joy and beauty throughout my day.
Help me to be strong and give encouragement to others.
Giver of good gifts, hear and heed my request for a heart to serve You.
May I have wisdom, discernment and the courage to follow through.
As the sun rises making the sky gradually brighter, may Your light grow in me.
As I am filled with Your light this day, may I brighten the day for others
~gsw~
With the sunrise comes a brand new day with endless possibilities. Using our imaginations we can find creative ways to bring light and love into our days. Even if we are facing trials, we can still pray. And we can ask God to help us find the beauty in the seemingly mundane daily routines.
I love to rise early, though it doesn’t happen often. But when I do, the morning seems magical while everything is quiet and the sun slowly rises above the horizon. Here’s a poem I wrote one early morning:
THE QUIET EARLY MORNING
In the quiet of the morning
I will rise to greet the sun.
The birds will start their singing
joining slowly one by one.
This early hour is magical,
a point ‘tween shadow and light.
It feels somewhat mystical
filling my soul with delight.
As it climbs higher in the sky
the sun dispels the darkness.
Flowers waken where they lie
in beds of dewy freshness.
A sense of peace surrounds me here
at the birth of this new day.
From my eye a thankful tear
escapes while I pause to pray.
~gsw~
This is Day 5 of the #write28days challenge of February, 2021. The prompt given by #FiveMinuteFriday is the word, sunset. You can find the rest of my posts for this challenge at my landing page, Serendipity: A Collection of Thoughts.
Dear Gayl,
What a gift it is to read your daily posts. You bring such sunshine into my day here, on the other side of the world.
For the past few days, I’ve woken early, but turned back over to sleep some more. But last night I asked God to help me rise early, and oh what a gift that hour of quiet was to pray, worship and send encouragement to friends.
I had so much more love and patience for my girls, as God filled me up to pour Himself out.
I am going to keep praying for Him to help me rise early. It makes such a difference. Your post was just that extra nudge from God to do so. Thank you xoxo
Anna, you have brought a gift to me today with your words. I love how God brought my thoughts to praying in the early morning. Though the poems were written in other years, they are what came to mind this morning as I wrote. And your words confirm what I have experienced, too, as I rise early and pray. I will pray for both of us to rise early and spend time in prayer before starting the day. Blessings to you with hugs and much love across the miles! xoxo
What a gift of sharing today! Thank you!
I love the prayer you share that you wrote as well. Thank you so much!
Visiting from FMF
Thank you, Tammy! It’s a blessing to be able to write and share with others. Blessings to you!
Beautiful photos and words! Your prayer is one that I want to join–yes, to begin the day focused on honoring the Lord, shining His light.
Thank you, Carol! It’s a prayer I wrote a few years ago, but it is still my desire. I’m glad for you to join in prayer with me. Blessings to you!
I love the early morning. I love the evening. I love every moment of the day and night. 🙂 God gives us the most special blessings in His creations.
I’m with you, Melissa. Every part of the day holds it own unique blessings and beauty. Blessings to you! xo
nicely written. I enjoyed the simpleness of the poem.
visiting from FMF37
Thank you, Annette! I’m glad you could visit today. Blessings to you!
Lovely, Gayl… Sharing. <3
Thank you so much, dear Bette. and thanks for sharing. Blessings to you! xo
Enjoyed your poem, prayers and photography, you are very creative!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Wendy. Blessings to you!
Wow. I love thinking about Jesus waking up early before sunrise to pray. That is a beautiful thought. Thank you for the reminder. Thank you also for sharing your prayer with us.
Oops! I forgot to tell you I am stopping by from Five Minute Friday, #36. Blessings on your day!
Thank you, Beth. Yes, I love thinking about Jesus waking before dawn. Thank you for visiting! Blessings to you!
Beautiful Gayl! I love your morning prayer! What a way to start the day. Putting our focus on God first thing definitely helps to have a better perspective the rest of the day! Thank you for sharing your wonderful, poetic words!
Thank you, Cindy! Yes, putting Him first really does help in our days. Blessings to you! xo