Challenge 7: Establish a Simple Routine of Starting and Ending Your Day in Prayer
Simple routines are vital for transformation. We need routines because routines create habits, and habits change us over time. We need simplicity because complicated actions do not stick. Difficulty kills motivation.
The goal over the next four weeks is for you to establish a simple routine of starting and ending your day with prayer. To help you do this, I am giving you two hymns: one to read right after you get out of bed and the other right before you get in. Allow these hymns to awaken your soul to the reality of living always in the presence of a holy God.
You have probably heard it said before that it takes 21 days to develop or undo a habit. In truth, research is inconclusive on this point. What we do know, however, is that habits, like concrete, take time to solidify. Our hope is that four weeks will be sufficient to wean you of your addiction of starting/ending your day by checking your phone. The goal is for us to check in with God before we check email, ESPN, or Instagram.
Finally, you may benefit from having printed copies by your bedside. You can download a pdf copy of the hymns here.
Weeks 25
Assignment: Start a New Routine by Beginning Your Day with a Set Morning Prayer
Men, read this hymn as soon as you get out of bed. Ideally, read the hymn aloud while kneeling.
Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Your daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,
To pay your morning sacrifice.
Redeem, your misspent moments past,
And live this day as if your last;
Improve your talent with due care;
For the Great Day yourself prepare.
In conversation be sincere;
Your conscience as the light be clear;
For God’s all-seeing eye surveys
Your secret thoughts, your words and ways.
Wake, and lift up yourself, my heart,
And with the angels bear your part,
Who all night long unwearied sing
High praise to the eternal King.
All praise to Him, who safe has kept
And has refreshed me while I slept
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake
I may of endless life partake.
Heav’n is, dear Lord, where’er Thou art,
O never then from me depart;
For to my soul ’tis hell to be
But for one moment void of [away from] Thee.
Lord, I my vows to You renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew.
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with Yourself my spirit fill.
Direct, control, suggest, this day,
All I design, or do, or say,
That all my powers, with all their might,
For Your sole glory may unite.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Thomas Ken, 1637-1711
Week 26
Assignment: Add to Your Daily Routine by Ending Your Day with a Set Evening Prayer
Recite this prayer at the very end of your day, before getting into bed, on your knees.
All praise to You, my God, this night,
For all the blessings of the light!
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
Beneath Thine own almighty wings.
Forgive me, Lord, for Thou dear Son,
The ill that I this day have done,
That with the world, myself, and Thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.
Teach me to live, that I may dread
The grave as little as my bed.
Teach me to die, that so I may
Rise glorious at the judgment day.
O may my soul on You repose,
And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close,
Sleep that may me more vigorous make
To serve my God when I awake.
If in the night I sleepless lie,
My soul with heavenly thoughts supply;
Let no ill dreams disturb my rest,
No powers of darkness me molest.
O may I always ready stand
With my lamp burning in my hand;
May I in sight of heaven rejoice,
Whene’er I hear the Bridegroom’s voice.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Thomas Ken, 1637-1711
Week 27
Assignment: Deepen Your Understanding of the Prayers by Looking up the Cross References in the Margins
You will notice below that I have provided references to different Scriptures beside our morning and evening prayers. The assignment this week is to look them up and read them. The purpose of doing this is to deepen your understanding of the Biblical truth behind the prayers. We are using these prayers (or hymns) not because they are eloquent or traditional, but because they weave together a variety of Scriptural truths that we need to recollect daily.
Morning Prayer
Awake, my soul, and with the sun (Ps. 57:8)
Your daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,
To pay your morning sacrifice. (Ex. 29:39)
Redeem, your misspent moments past, (Eph. 5:16)
And live this day as if your last; (Lk. 12:37)
Improve your talent with due care; (Matt. 25:14ff.)
For the Great Day yourself prepare. (Acts 17:31)
In conversation be sincere;
Your conscience as the light be clear; (I Tim. 1:5)
For God’s all-seeing eye surveys
Your secret thoughts, your words and ways. (Heb. 4:13)
Wake, and lift up yourself, my heart, (Rom. 13:11)
And with the angels bear your part,
Who all night long unwearied sing
High praise to the eternal King. (Rev. 5:11)
All praise to Him, who safe has kept
And has refreshed me while I slept (Ps. 121)
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake
I may of endless life partake. (Jn. 11:25-6)
Heav’n is, dear Lord, where’er Thou art,
O never then from me depart;
For to my soul ’tis hell to be
But for one moment void of [away from] Thee. (Ps. 73:25)
Lord, I my vows to You renew; (Rom. 6:3-4)
Disperse my sins as morning dew.
Guard my first springs of thought and will, (Prov. 4:23)
And with Yourself my spirit fill. (Eph. 4:19)
Direct, control, suggest, this day,
All I design, or do, or say, (Gal. 5:16)
That all my powers, with all their might,
For Your sole glory may unite. (Ps. 86:11)
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Thomas Ken, 1637-1711
Evening Prayer
All praise to You, my God, this night,
For all the blessings of the light!
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
Beneath Thine own almighty wings. (Ps. 91:1)
Forgive me, Lord, for Thou dear Son,
The ill that I this day have done,
That with the world, myself, and Thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be. (Ps. 32:1-5)
Teach me to live, that I may dread
The grave as little as my bed. (2 Cor. 5:8)
Teach me to die, that so I may
Rise glorious at the judgment day. (2 Cor. 4:16-18)
O may my soul on You repose, (Is. 26:3)
And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close, (Ps. 127:2)
Sleep that may me more vigorous make
To serve my God when I awake. (Ps. 3:5)
If in the night I sleepless lie,
My soul with heavenly thoughts supply; (Ps. 4:4)
Let no ill dreams disturb my rest,
No powers of darkness me molest. (Ps. 4:8)
O may I always ready stand
With my lamp burning in my hand; (Lk. 12:35)
May I in sight of heaven rejoice,
Whene’er I hear the Bridegroom’s voice. (Matt. 25:6)
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Thomas Ken, 1637-1711
Week 28
Assignment: Solidify the Habit of Starting and Ending Your Day with Prayer
Repetition works. What at first is hard to remember and difficult to do slowly but surely becomes second-nature. This is why routine matters. A good routine frees us up from the hard work of having to remember a task or learn a new skill. Instead, wise choices become hard-wired into us.
This is what will happen if you persist in this challenge. Whereas, at first, remembering to start your day in prayer (instead of checking email) may have been a struggle, after three weeks the old habit is being undone and a new one is forming. Not all of spiritual growth can be reduced to this process. Nonetheless, holy habits are important for developing holy character. On this point, JI Packer writes, ‘By the Spirit’s enabling, Christians resolve to do particular things that are right, and actually do them,and thus form habits of doing right things, and out of these habits comes a character that is right.’