A morning prayer to start your day

Before the phone, before the inbox, before the noise: a few minutes with God sets the tone for the rest of the day. Here is a morning prayer you can pray right now, a simple 10-minute routine, a 3-minute version for the mornings that start in a rush, and morning prayers for your family.

A morning prayer to pray now

Why pray in the morning

You can pray at any hour, and God hears you at any hour. But there is something in scripture about mornings. The psalmists keep coming back to them:

"LORD, in the morning you will hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly." Psalm 5:3 (WEB)

"It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22–23 (WEB)

Lamentations was written in the ruins of Jerusalem, so this isn't a cheerful verse for good days. It's a reason to get up on hard ones. And Jesus himself prayed in the morning: "Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there." Mark 1:35 (WEB).

Practically, mornings are also the time you're most likely to keep. Evenings get eaten by whatever the day threw at you. A prayer tied to your first cup of coffee tends to stick.

A 10-minute morning prayer routine

• Arrive (1 minute). Sit in the same spot each day. Leave the phone in another room or face down. Breathe slowly and remember God is already with you.
• Read (2 minutes). One short passage. Psalms 5, 46, 90, 118 and 143 are good morning psalms. Read it slowly.
• Reflect (2 minutes). What does this say about God? What might it mean for the day ahead?
• Thank (1 minute). Name three specific things: sleep, a person, something in the passage.
• Give him the day (2 minutes). Walk through your calendar with God, hour by hour. Ask for what each part needs.
• Pray for others (1 minute). Your family, one friend, one person who is hard to love.
• Carry one line (1 minute). Pick a phrase from the passage to repeat during the day. For example: "Cause me to know the way in which I should walk" (Psalm 143:8, WEB).

A 3-minute morning prayer for rushed days

Some mornings start with a crying child or a late alarm. That's fine. Pray this in the shower, on the stairs or in the car before you turn the key (eyes open if you're driving).

"This is the day that the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24 (WEB). Lord, I'm already behind, and you're not. Go before me today. Give me what I need for the next hour, and the next. Keep the people I love. Help me find you somewhere in the rush. Amen.

Morning prayers for family

Praying together, even for one minute, gives a family a shared start. Keep it short and real, especially with children. These are written so anyone at the table can say them.

• At breakfast, with everyone. Thank you, God, for this food and for each other. Be with us at school and at work. Help us be kind today, and bring us home safe tonight. Amen.
• For your children, before they wake. Father, these children are yours before they are mine. Keep them close to you. Give them friends who are good to them, courage when they're scared, and a heart that is kind to the kid nobody sits with.
• For your husband or wife. Lord, bless my spouse today. Give them strength for what they're facing, and help me be on their side, not on their case. Let us love each other well.
• For a family going through something hard. God, you know what our family is facing. Hold us together. Help us be patient with each other while we wait.
• For family far away. Father, be near to the ones we can't see today. Remind them they are loved.
• At the door, as a blessing. Many parents speak this blessing over their children on the way out. It is God's own blessing from Numbers 6:24–26 (WEB): "The LORD bless you, and keep you. The LORD make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. The LORD lift up his face toward you, and give you peace."

Tips that help families keep a morning prayer going: let a different person pray each day, keep a short list of prayer requests on the fridge, and don't wait for everyone to be calm.

Morning verses to pray

"Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning, for I trust in you. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to you." Psalm 143:8 (WEB)

"Satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days." Psalm 90:14 (WEB)

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, LORD, my rock, and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14 (WEB)

Pray one back to God in your own words: "Show me your love this morning. Show me the way I should go today."

Common questions

How long should a morning prayer be?

As long as you will actually keep. Three minutes every day does more than an hour once a month. Many people settle at about ten.

What if I'm not a morning person?

Then pray when you can. Lunch, the commute or bedtime are all good. A short prayer for anxiety at night is on our worry guide. The point is a regular time, not a holy hour.

Should I read the Bible or pray first?

Many people find reading first helps: it gives prayer something to answer. Our guide on how to pray every day walks through the order we use.

Sources

Scripture: World English Bible (public domain), eBible.org. Pages read for this guide: iBelieve, "A Powerful Morning Prayer to Start Each Day"; Life.Church, "Morning Prayers to Start Your Day With God"; Christianity.com, "Best Morning Prayers to Start Your Day With God"; Crosswalk, "7 Morning Prayers for the Whole Family".