Morning Blessings

What does your morning routine say about you?

Now… Pause with that thought.

Some are morning birds, as in, up before the sun and pounding the pavement long before anyone else thinks about throwing back the covers. Others simply want to lounge in bed all day and live the life of a night owl…

However you start your morning routine (coffee, breakfast, news, devotional, etc.), and whenever that time happens to be, what if you started it with a Morning Prayer.

For some of you, it may go like this.

Please, please, please, oh Lord. Make this a good day. Help me be successful and profitable. Give me my strength and health and let the riches flow my way. And let everything go my way! Amen!

Tongue in cheek, this sort of sounds like those mealtime prayers, “Over the lips, past the gums, look out tummy, here it comes!” or those nighttime prayers children are taught, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord, my soul, to keep. If I should die (GASP!) before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”

Since we are no longer kids, and our prayers are differently applied to each situation, what if we developed our personal opening prayer routine to the day.

What would it be like? Perhaps it would have no specific request about what the day holds, or what you expect. Rather, what if you simply prayed a blessing on God, the creator, and holder of the day! What if you did this long before you think or ask about yourself?

Putting God first, what would your morning prayer and blessing be?

Words of Blessings

Our greatest examples of biblical prayers, blessings, and songs come from King David. David wrote about these things often and probably collected them from others that lived long before him.

Today I want to focus on one word.

Blessings… Consider all the tenses and variations found hundreds of times in the scripture, and you realize how important this word is.

In essence, in all of its formats, it indicates a sense of prosperity. Receiving. Giving. Good, and even worse. Check out Deuteronomy 28 to show the laundry list of “blessings” that come from the side of obedience. Then read the “curse” (or, non-blessing) that comes from disobedience.

From David’s writing, we use “blessing” words from the psalms thousands of years old in modern worship songs. One of the first scripture songs I remember comes from (Psalms 34:1-4). These thoughts, phrases, and sentiments are used by every writer after him.

For example, check out Psalms 103 where he continually says:

Bless the Lord, oh my soul…

From the deepest part of who I am, let’s give the Lord a Blessing!

A Morning Prayer of Blessing

For many years I have read words like these throughout the Bible and though I profess to grasp them, it wasn’t until reading a particular novel for the second time several decades later, this thought grabbed my mind from an action done within the storyline.

A prayer of blessing
was used to kickstart the day.
One man prayed,
and a young boy simply said, “Amen.” (So Be It)

As the words flowed through the pages and into my spirit, I considered how it would be for that Shepherd boy, David, to speak words like these as he woke to his day’s duties. He fought bears and lions, kept his sheep in the fields all day and night for weeks, maybe even months. Throughout the night watches, he sees the stars unfold their stories through the heavens, and watched the sun and moon rising, and setting all the time.

But the morning shows up every single day, and I can imagine him praying like it was described in the book. Could it be this “novel” quips what David might have prayed?

Morning Blessing Example

Maybe it’s a good personal habit for you? What if… you and your family started the day with words like this?

Today.

I want to start my life differently with a “new normal“. What if I simply bless the day, and by words, deeds, and action prove I’m willing to give “prosperity” to all the events before me. Could I adjust the ending of my day? How much more will those blessings pour back into my life? By the end of the day, I will reflect on how much better I made it through.

Jesus taught it with a differing approach.

Stop judging, and you will never be judged.
Stop condemning, and you will never be condemned.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Give, and you will receive.
A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down,
and running over will be put into your pocket.
The standards you use for others will be applied to you.””
Luke 6:37-38 (GW)

Notice his blessing at the ending… The standards you use for others will be applied to you! By your actions and words, you have applied back to you!

Here’s My Thought Today

The “half-brother” of Jesus was James, and though he’s mentioned several times in scriptures, we do not find him putting his relationship on the line. He simply is a follower and disciple of Jesus.

Later in life, he writes only one single epistle that finds its way into our Bible. Perhaps the teachings of Jesus, the words of the prophets, and the songs of David echoed in his Spirit, but we find in James 3 where he speaks about the “tongue which no man can tame” (v8). That little member of the body:

In the same way the tongue is a small part of the body,
but it can brag about doing important things.
A large forest can be set on fire by a little flame.
The tongue is that kind of flame.
It is a world of evil among the parts of our bodies,
and it completely contaminates our bodies.
The tongue sets our lives on fire,
and is itself set on fire from hell.
(James 3:5-6 GW)

Wow! What an indictment on that one piece of our identity! James gives warning to the duality of our words that make itself known through this little member. But as with Deuteronomy 28, we also know of the results of the use of our words. James says it like this:

“Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing.
My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”  
James 3:10 (KJV)

Think about it! Our words produce blessings and cursings within ourselves, and those we use them for, or against.

What kind of person do you enjoy being around? Who enjoys being around you? Those that genuinely enjoy your presence are those who benefit from the words you use.

Let’s let our words be those of blessings, and not of cursings… Amen?!!