Morning. Noon. Night. A Daily Prayer Rhythm.
Morning. Noon. And Night. A daily prayer rhythm.
Whether together or apart we can unite our hearts in prayer. As we adopt this rhythm of daily prayer we will be praying similar things at similar times each and every day. And as we consistently pray we will begin to suddenly hear the sound of the Holy Spirit in us and through us.
In the Hebrew and early Christian tradition, there has always been a daily prayer rhythm to pause and pray - morning, midday, and evening. We see this in the life of Jesus and with the apostles in the early church.
Each morning we want to begin the day with the Lord's Prayer. Each midday we want to create time to pray for those around us. And each evening we want to end our day in gratitude to God.
Partner with us by praying this rhythm each day wherever you are.
Morning / The Lord’s Prayer
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
-Luke 11v1, Matthew 6v9-13
You can reference the Lord’s Prayer within the prayer guide or utilize Bridgetown Church’s breakdown to pray each day. Or feel free to copy and paste or print so you can easily find it each morning.
Noon / Streets and Hearts
“With whom you pray, for whom you pray, and to whom you pray”
— Ed Cole
Take time to pray over the places you go and the people you meet. Your neighborhood, your workplace, and any place you frequent (and yes, that can mean the grocery store, the coffee shop, or your favorite place to hang). Pray for those who are broken, hurting, wandering, and those needing to see Jesus like never before.
Pray specifically for the following…
Name Your Neighbors
Ask the Spirit to bring to mind people who are far from God, people who do not know his love, people who are in a difficult season or situation, and people who need to see Jesus for all that he is. As faces and names come to mind, pray for them. You may even feel prompted to contact them with a quick encouraging text or call. Do it. Trust God. He will go with you.
Eyes to See
Ask that God would reveal friends, neighbors, co-workers, and strangers who need to know God’s love for them or need someone to simply be there for them. Ask God for compassion and a heart for those around you. Then trust God and take courage to be the hands and feet of Jesus when he shows you who. There will be stories to tell!
Divine Connections
Finally, invite God to send you. As you have asked God to pursue your loved ones, now ask him to send you out with his empowering presence to those around you. That as your day goes on he would bring to mind or put you in surprising positions to be the answer to prayer.
Night / God’s Goodness, Our Gratitude
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. -1 Thessalonians 5v16-18
The day is done. The night has come. Still your soul and think upon the Lord and his goodness toward you.
Start with a 1-2min of silence and pray this prayer as you start, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Follow that by reviewing the events and moments of the day… the people, messages, meals, demands, and surprises. All of it. As you do, ask the following question of God and as you do simply give thanks to God for anything that comes to mind, especially the non-obvious things. Relish and savor these moments in gratitude to God.
“Lord show me where you were at work in my life. In what ways did I experience your goodness and when did I hear you speak?”
You may not start off with a flood of moments or pictures. But this is a practice that begins to open your heart and mind to the daily and active presence of God in your life.
Then take time to confess and repent. These can be heavy words but they are best understood in the prodigal son. Coming back home, back to who you are. Ask God to reveal where you stepped away from who God has called you to be as his son or daughter.. getting involved in gossip, reacting with a tone that was aggressive, lacking compassion in a situation, ignoring a need, etc. His grace for you is sufficient and overwhelming. Receive His forgiveness afresh.
This is not a moment to feel defeated but forgiven. It is a moment to reboot and commit in daily way to becoming more and more like Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit. Let this be a moment of refreshing and freedom.
We took a few of the elements included in the prayer guide and broke them out as blog posts. So here are just a couple of the patterns mentioned.
Morning, Noon, and Night / A Daily Prayer Rhythm
Personal Prayer Retreat