Hello!
It’s a new year and a lot of us may have intentions of drawing nearer to God as we enter 2023.
It’s easy to get caught up in the swirl of resolutions and goal setting and we end up making plans that are unreachable. At least without a few smaller steps built in.
If this feels relatable, hopefully this practice will meet you right wherever you are. A small step.
It can be super simple or a bit more involved depending on what your current practices look like, but for all of us it’s simply beginning and ending your day with God. Giving Him your actual first and last thoughts of the day. Putting your eyes on Him as you begin and as you end. Before you get out of bed in the morning and before you close your eyes at night. The literal first and last thing. A practice you can (and should) do in bed!
This could look different for each of us. Here are some ideas for the morning. Immediately upon waking, before you get out of bed or grab your phone:
Bring the image of God to mind and practice some centering prayer. Sit in His presence and receive His love.
Say a very simple prayer like, “God I give you my day.”
Have a verse written on a notecard by your bed and read it first thing. Or recite a verse you’ve memorized.
Spend a few minutes praying for others, for needs, for the day (pray one you’ve written down and keep on your bedside table if you’re brain is foggy in the morning).
Ask Him a variation of the listening questions from last month applied to that day (what do you want me to know about my day? what do you want me to do?)
Notice with God how you’re coming to the day. How are you feeling? What do you want?
And here are some ideas for the evening. After you’ve brushed your teeth and read your book and put your phone away (or whatever your evening routine looks like), get into bed and:
Practice gratitude. Thank God for something good that day.
Pray the prayer of Examen to look back over your day and notice God’s presence.
Again, read a verse.
Again, pray for others.
Again, practice centering prayer.
And if you fall asleep while your eyes are on God, that sounds like a good thing to me!
Don’t try to do all of those ideas, just pick one to begin. The point is a small step that will help you put your first and last thoughts on God each day. As you build the habit you might increase or change the actual practices, but begin with something you can stick with. And I’d love to hear anything you might add to these lists!
It takes awhile to build a habit, so if you miss a morning, an evening, a day, a week, just start again! And you can always ask God for the grace to remember and the desire to give Him your literal first and last moments of your day.
And may you encounter the God who loves you as you make space in your schedule and in your soul.