My question is how do we “unwrap” our new day? Do we pray or just jump out of bed and hit the floor running by ourselves? Who will be our guide for the day, God or Satan?
Do you realize before you open your eyes at the start of a new day, the devil is on the prowl (2 Peter 5:8)? He tries to put things in our way that would keep us from starting out our day with God in prayer. We should never forget to start our day with prayer. I know sometimes we have good intentions to pray every morning, but we do not always, which makes Satan very happy.
Satan knows if we begin our day with God things will run smoother for us through the day. This is not to say we will not have any problems, but with God on our side, we can handle what is put in front of us. In Philippians 4:13, we are told that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
We need to thank God for giving us a good night’s sleep as well as the ability to be able to see, to hear, to breathe, to arise out of bed and to be able to walk. What great gifts from God for us to unwrap every day with His blessings! The blessings are innumerable with which to begin a new day. We need to begin our day with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord.
Each new day is a gift from God. We should be thankful for each new day. Remember, ‘this is the day that the Lord has made and we need to rejoice in it’ (Psalm 118:24). We can use this day either wisely or in a wasteful way. What will we do this day? We are promised by God that we will not be given more than we are able to handle (1 Corinthians 10:13).
We should also pray other times during each day, such as before meals and before closing our eyes at night. We can go to God in prayer any time of day or night. He is always here for us.
How are we to pray? James 5:17b reads, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” We are not to pray as the Pharisee did. As he began his prayer, he talked to himself. Sounds to me as though he really was not praying to God. Sometimes prayers do not go any higher than the ceiling. In his prayer, the Pharisee told God he was thankful that he was not like the publican, an extortioner, unjust, adulterous or as tax collectors (Luke 18:9-14). He had too much of the “I,” “me” and “mine” syndrome. This Pharisee thought too highly of himself. Sometimes, I am afraid we as Christians are guilty of this attitude. We must not think too highly of self. God hates a proud look and a haughty spirit (Proverbs 21:4).
So, let us start our day with a prayer of thanksgiving and of praise to the Lord for the blessings that He has given us. I am told if we do something for 21 days it becomes a habit. Therefore, let us try to start every morning with a prayer for 21 days.
How are we going to “unwrap” our new day? Who are we going to follow? Who are we going to serve—God or Satan?
