I'm working on reading a bunch of things I didn't get to in seminary, the "eschatological reading list" as one professor called it. Right now, I'm reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
Prayer offered in early morning is decisive for the day. The wasted time we are ashamed of, the temptations we succumb to, the weakness and discouragement in our work, the disorder and lack of discipline in our thinking and in our dealings with other people--all these very frequently have their cause in our neglect of morning prayer. The ordering and scheduling of our time will become more secure when it comes from prayer.
This rich quote invites us to reorder are day. Sure, we could skip morning prayer in favor of some extra time to sleep, surf the web, watch tv, etc. However doing this takes it's toll on our discipline in all areas of life. The invitation is simply, when you desire things to be different, start with prayer. Take time for prayer as you get out of bed in the morning, take time to read some scripture (perhaps a psalm) and hear God speak to you, take time to listen as God pulls us to do the divine will. Perhaps that last one is most important. To be silent, know God's presence and listen to the voice of the Almighty, whether loud and booming, or still and small.
If you aren't sure how do morning prayer, I recommend subscribing to the Moravian Daily Texts (go to www.moravian.org/daily_texts) This is a free service that will send daily scripture readings to your eMail box.
The other recommendation is purchasing a book from the "40-Day Journey with _________" series available at www.augsburgfortress.org/store/itemseries_noimage.jsp?clsid=188809
Schedule an appoint between yourself and God daily, let me know how the journey goes.
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