30 Minutes to Inner Peace

  Feeling stressed? Overwhelmed? Confused?  Try starting your day with this simple guide for morning prayer.

1.  Be still.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10, KJV)

      Quiet yourself in God’s presence. You may want to close your eyes.  Take deep, slow breaths.  As you breathe, you may want to pray “phrase prayers”:  “I love you, God.”  “Praise you, Jesus.”  “Thank you for being here.”  “Thank you for your love.”  Or just repeat the name “Jesus” with each breath.

      You may hum or sing a worship song that helps you immerse yourself in awareness of God’s loving presence.  Or recite or read a Psalm or other passage of Scripture and meditate on it. 

      Continue with this until you feel at rest in God’s presence.

2.  Cast your cares on him.

      “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you.” (Psalm 55:2, NIV)

      Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind anything that you are worried or anxious about.  List in your journal each thing God brings to mind.

      Then go through the list, giving each care to him.  You may want to hold each one out to him with open hands, then turn your hands over, leaving the care with him.

      Whenever you notice later that you have picked up a care, give it back to him.

3.  Listen for guidance.

      “I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak just what the Father taught me.” (John 8:28, NET)

      Ask, “God, what do you have for me to do today?”  Whom does he want you to pray for?  Is there someone you need to reach out to?  List these in your journal.

      Review the activities you have planned for the day.  Listen for his nudgings about any of those.  Would God reshape any of your plans?  Is there something else God wants you to do to? Anything you should scratch off your to-do list?  Things you should reschedule for later?

      Note any promptings you hear in your journal, even if you are not yet sure if they are from God. Once they are written down, you can ask God to show you if they are from him. It may be a while before you are sure. Sometimes you will need to involve others in discerning whether a thought is from God. 

4.  Rejoice.

      “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24, NKJV)

      Thank God for this day. Go through each part of the coming day and entrust it to God. Thank him that he will be with you in each thing you do. Ask for eyes to see him at work throughout the day (God sightings). Rejoice in God’s love for you and the opportunity to partner with him in his mission today.