Reflection
Those who rise early to seek God will find blessing.
Ecclesiasticus 32:14
Morning brings a sense of freshness and gratitude for another day of living. There is a contemplative feeling to the early morning which is conducive to prayer. Usually, the sun is just rising, it is quiet and there is an opportunity for solitude. The only sounds are the stirrings of new beginnings. Although the cares of the previous day may still be with us, there is hope that this day will bring the opportunity for some positive action. Each day is a blessing; each day is a gift. If we have the time to be aware of and to enjoy the peace of early morning, it should not be lost.
Prayer
In the early hours of the morning I will sing your praises, O God.
Psalm 95
Action
Try to make some time for solitude and reflection before you begin the activities of your day.
Suggested Reading
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Mark 1:35
In the gift of this new day,
in the gift of the present moment,
in the gift of time and eternity intertwined
let me be thankful
let me be attentive
let me be open to what has never happened before.
J. Philip Newell
The entire day receives order and discipline when it acquires unity. This unity must be sought and found in morning prayer. The morning prayer determines the day.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Blessed is the day whose morning is sanctified. Successful is the day whose first victory is won in prayer. Holy is the day whose dawn finds thee on the top of the mount.
Joseph Parker
It is in the early morning hour that the unseen is seen, and that the far-off beauty and glory, vanquishing all their vagueness, move down upon us till they stand clear as crystal close over against the soul.
Sarah Smiley
When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive -to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
Marcus Aurelius
Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.
Og Mandino