[From the archives.]

Here in Africa, it’s starry-cold, crisp and dark, when I open the kitchen door for the dogs at far-too-early-AM. And sometimes the day wakes up yelling for clean socks and I’m glad there are no hidden cameras recording how I yell back respond and it all gets to me before I can get to the coffee.

I’m very much on the Morning Person Spectrum but still I’d rather be in bed than reading my Bible. Because no matter where I am on a scale of zombie to rise-n-shine, there are days when the duvet defeats responsible thoughts of facing life.

But something – even just one desperate morning prayer – is better than nothing.

So when I first realise I’m conscious – when I’ve found my face and remembered important stuff like my name and which year it is – then the thing to do in the blotch and smudge as I surface from night is to greet God with un-poetic honesty. Like –

1   Oh God. Help.

Or, as thoughts gather lucidity – and depending on mood and circumstances – I try something more coherent, like one of these:

2   Father, I love the people under this roof so much. Help me to live that love today, so that they actually believe me.

3   Give us soft, strong hearts. Bless us to be a blessing to the people you’ve scripted into this day.

4   God, I really REALLY don’t feel like doing this day. Help me just to do the next five minutes. And then the next. And the next.

5   Today is [insert today’s date]. It’s a day that’ll go down in history as part of Your Big Story for humanity on this planet. God, let’s do this thing.

6   Father, from beginning to end of this day, give me WISDOM for every event, encounter and interaction.

7   Today, maximize my life for Your glory. Position me to catch Your light and best reflect the wonder of You.

8   Thank You that You have already gone ahead of us into this day. Help us to walk in Your footsteps, from breakfast to lights out and every step in between.

9   I’m tired of barrelling on through this cluttered life full of rods I’ve made for my own back. Today, I’m saying NO to everything. Unless it’s a YES from You. I sense that coffee is a YES. Thank You Jesus for coffee.

10   God, today will be full of words. Spoken loud, whispered, texted or typed: choose all of mine.

Photo credit: Huffington Post

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