The Blessing of Morning Prayer

For most of my adult life I have prayed Morning Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, adding my own informal intercessions and prayers at the appropriate places. The reason I have done so is summed up neatly in “The Blessing of Morning Prayer” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

“The entire day receives order and discipline when it acquires unity. This unity must be sought and found in morning prayer. It is confirmed in work. The morning prayer determines the day. Squandered time of which we are ashamed, temptations to which we succumb, weaknesses and lack of courage in work, disorganization and lack of discipline in our thoughts and in our conversations with other men, all have their origin most often in the neglect of morning prayer.

“Order and distribution of our time become more firm where they originate in prayer. Temptations which accompany the working day will be conquered on the basis of the morning breakthrough to God. Decisions, demanded by work, become easier and simpler where they are made not in the fear of men but only in the sight of God. “Whatever you task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men” (Colossians 3:23). Even mechanical work is done in a more patient way if it arises from the recognition of God and his command. The powers to work take hold, therefore, at the place where we have prayed to God. He wants to give us today the power which we need for our work.” [Dietrich Bonhoeffer, PSALMS: The Prayer Book of the Bible, (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1970).