Daily Bread

Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

This Psalm is attributed to King David. Now, there's a legend — and I must stress that it is a legend — that David played the harp, and that when this Psalm was written he was hiding out in a cave, and that each morning when the wind blew, it would blow on the harp strings acting like an alarm clock, upon which David would wake up and praise God.

Okay, okay, so it's probably a load of tosh, but we do know that David had a regular pattern of prayer and worship, and that is the point. It is incredibly helpful for us to find a pattern of prayer and worship that works for us. We are all very different, and we all engage in prayer and worship in different ways. For some of us (like me), it helps to complete a devotion when I first wake, and as I am a writer, I write my devotion down (and I happen to share it as I am doing now!) For others, it helps to listen to a podcast, or pick up their bedside Bible and simply read. For others, they follow daily Bible study notes, or taking a walk in creation gives them the opportunity to listen, pray, and worship.

Spending time in devotion at the beginning of your day — through engaging with God's word and through prayer — helps centre yourself back on God. It helps you breathe before the work of the day begins. It is an invitation for the Holy Spirit to bring you comfort and to guide and lead you in all the day has in store for you.

And don't feel guilty if one style, method, or time-of-day of devotion doesn't work for you! Just because someone else finds something helpful doesn't mean you will, but also, don't give up trying to find something that works for you. And if placing a harp by your pillow and opening a window is the way forward, then go for it!

Holy God
I long to praise you every day
and centre my life around you.
Help me to find a place, a time, and a way
to engage with your holy word,
that draws me closer to you.
Bring me comfort and peace this day
that I might think, speak, and act
with a divine, peace-filled, and joyful love.
Now and forever.