Mornings are the most pivotal time of every day. What happens then sets the tone and attitude for every hour thereafter. That is why we take a pause every morning for a dedicated time of worship, study, and prayer to rightly orient our hearts for the ensuing day. These daily habits and routines push us to look up from the monotony and busyness of life and to place that focus and attention on the Lord.
It can be so easy, in academic settings such as these, to pull away from spiritual practices and to plant all our focus into our schoolwork, activities, or relationships. There are so many portions of our life vying for our attention, and it can become tempting to push Jesus into the back seat. We are quick to claim our lives for our own and attempt to fulfill ourselves with the “practical” things in life.
We are quick to forget how desperately we need God’s influence and guidance in our day-to-day, and we fail to see how dangerous a life without it can be.
This is why we ought to make intentional time out of every day to invest in the Lord and let Him work in us so that He may be shown through us in our practical responsibilities.
Every morning as Impact 360 Fellows, we gather to recenter our perspective on God and grow closer to him in a variety of disciplines. Some days, we spend this time in meditation over a small passage of scripture. Other days, we join in prayer– in adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication– conversing with the Lord. Another, it may be joyous corporate worship through music, singing praises to the Lord. Or it may be a reverent and attentive study of His Word, intently seeking His wisdom. In all cases, this time serves to reorient our thoughts and actions on Him from the beginning of our days and carry this perspective with us for the hours ahead.
“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1
Starting my day with a focus on God puts everything into perspective for the rest of the day. I notice a significant difference in how I handle conversations, conflicts, labor, and leisure time when my heart is set towards Him. And, of course, I still find myself falling into patterns of focusing on the wrong things, but these intentional practices are slowly shaping me to more easily let God work in my every day, even down to the most mundane tasks.
My hope is to carry these Morning Rhythms into my college years and beyond, in which the risk of losing focus on the Lord becomes much stronger. In holding fast to habits of worship, study, and prayer, we can work to turn our hearts to the Lord every day and allow Him to guide our decisions and actions, even when everything else is vying for our attention. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21
Elijah Pankratz – Class XX Fellow