Calling All Morning People! Alert! Alert!

[Whispering Grace]

Please help me. This is my second installment of "please help the poor night owl who can't seem to function until noon every day" (the old thread apparantly got zapped).

The problem:

I desperately want to spend time alone in prayer with the Lord every morning before I start my day (preferably for an hour). The problem is that even when I manage to drag myself out of bed, the time is anything but fruitful because I am groggy and half-asleep.

This morning, I managed to get up about 6:30, went to my place of prayer, kneeled down, prayed for a few minutes, and then woke up an hour later...still kneeling right where I'd started. NOT fruitful to say the least.

How in the world do I spend the first part of my day with the Lord when I can't even manage a coherent thought?

[Brother Mark]

On a supernatural note, grace is what it takes. IMO, the Lord is pleased with effort and intentions when someone is trying something new at his leading. Peter Lord's wife wanted to do the same thing you did. She felt convicted and tried. She would wake up and then get her bible and sit down. When she sat down, she went to sleep. But the conviction was gone. Why? Because she was being obedient. She just didn't have her body trained yet.

On a practical note, He knows our flesh is weak and you are just now trying to train it. When we exercise, it takes time to get our bodies to do as we command them to do. We box, but not without aim. Your spirit will eventually bring your body under control. Keep making a go of it.

Also, go to bed at the same time each night. If you need 8 hours sleep, then go to bed early enough to wind down and give yourself time to fall asleep by 1030pm. That gives you a full 8 hours before time to get up. Don't do things in the evening that will excite your mind or body. Don't read an interesting book that will get your thoughts going, or do anything that might arouse your emotions in a passionate way (i.e. politics, news, ect.) The idea is to start calming down before bed.

Finally, get up at the same time each day. Your body will get use to the program after a while and start getting in line but it takes a while. Don't take naps.

Another thing to try, instead of starting out praying right away, perhaps it would be good to focus on buffeting your body initially. In other words, wake up and go for a long walk. Use that time of walking to pray. You won't fall asleep while walking. And your body will have the juices flowing so to speak. Then don't nap until bedtime. Believe me, if you keep a schedule, your body will adjust and you will become more of a morning person eventually. It's all about training our bodies.

[moonglow]

Please help me. This is my second installment of "please help the poor night owl who can't seem to function until noon every day" (the old thread apparantly got zapped).

The problem:

I desperately want to spend time alone in prayer with the Lord every morning before I start my day (preferably for an hour). The problem is that even when I manage to drag myself out of bed, the time is anything but fruitful because I am groggy and half-asleep.

This morning, I managed to get up about 6:30, went to my place of prayer, kneeled down, prayed for a few minutes, and then woke up an hour later...still kneeling right where I'd started. NOT fruitful to say the least.

How in the world do I spend the first part of my day with the Lord when I can't even manage a coherent thought?

lol..you poor tired lady! I shouldn't laugh but that just sounds so funny.

I am also not a morning person no matter how much sleep I get during the night...I would fall asleep too. That is why when my alarm goes off I have to get up right away cause if I try to lay there another minute I will zonk out.

If this is something you really want to do I think Mark has wonderful suggestions for that.

Its not for me though. Yes I try to start out in prayer in the mornings but I have to be doing something physically in order to wake up and not fall back to sleep. While my pray first thing is brief and might only be thanking Him for the day and the good night's sleep...I try to focus on talking with Him all throughout the day and have at least one day or more where I shut myself in my room (usually in the afternoon when I am more awake) and spend that time in deep mediation and pray..totally focused on Him. The thing is I have fallen asleep doing that too! Seems anymore I am almost always tired...its frustrating this falling asleep stuff when you are trying to connect with Him..

Sometimes I go to bed early and put a tape in my tape player with music (no singing but nice music) which helps me stay awake and actually helps me focus on Him more. But sadly regardless of the time of day it is, I have even fallen asleep with the music on...only to be startled awake when the song changes... Then I tell God I am sorry...

I know many pastors and other Christians on the Christian radio station I listen too talk about getting up an hour early and spending that first hour in prayer with God...I thought they were all nuts for doing that..lol...I guess they are early birds! I heard some say when their alarm goes off they get out of bed and get on their knees and put their head on the bed and start praying. Boy I would just fall right back asleep. I am just not an early bird. I would start off praying..."Dear God...ZzzzZzzzz." He would tell the angels...we got another snoring prayer coming in everyone cover your ears!

I have heard of others getting up and getting their bibles and start reading it and praying. My eyes can't even focus to read when I first get up! After a while I do some bible reading in the morning..just a few minutes here and there though cause like I said, I am not awake. (this whole thread is making me sleepy in fact) lol

I really don't 'wake up' until later in the morning or noon... I think my system is just wired that way even though for years I have had to get up early..my body has always hated it! (not the really early in the morning stuff like six thirty anyway)...I do generally wake up around eight on my own..so much better then six-thirty. I think six-thirty am should be banned from all clocks actually!!!

(btw can you tell from my rambling post I am not awake and its almost ten-thirty in the morning..lol)

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

God bless

[thepenitent]

Well, what I do is spend that first half hour of prayer time with a cup of coffee and my Bible for my morning reading. Then, with a cup of coffee and a half hour of scripture under my belt, I'm perfectly ready for a half hour of prayer. Works for me.

[Esperanza32]

I'm a morning person. I pray and read my Bible in the morning, when I'm at my best. My hubby is a night person, so he gives God his best time, which is at night after I'm already in bed. God made us differently. I would have a very difficult time staying up an hour later at night to have my quiet time then, nor would God enjoy it; I'm such a grouch at that hour.

I think a lot of us early birds get a holier-than-thou attitude about our morning prayer time, and we sometimes look down on people who can't drag themselves out of bed at 5 AM. I hope you're trying to get up early because you sense God calling you to do that, not because some early bird is making you feel bad.

But assuming that this desire is from God...adding some physical activity to the morning could help. I go for my two-mile run and take a shower before I get out my Bible; it's a routine that works for me. Some people like to talk with God while they're walking.

Most of my best conversations with girlfriends occur over a big cup of coffee. There's no reason you couldn't talk with God over coffee.

Sometimes I write my prayers--mostly because I express myself better in writing than speaking. But it also keeps me active in the prayer, and my mind wanders less. I'm not sure if that could help you or not.

And all the stuff Mark said about having the same routine every day and getting enough sleep is important. I find that my life goes better if I don't stay up late or sleep in on the weekends.

I hope you figure out something that works for you!

[lbeaty1981]

I agree with Esperanza, I think God cares more that you're spending time with Him, whether you do it in the morning or evening. I used to have the exact opposite problem as you; I tried to pray in bed before going to bed, but would always fall asleep after about 5 minutes! When I wake up in the morning, though, I'm wide awake and rearing to go, so I just switched my main Bible study/prayer time to then. I do still devote time to prayer in the evenings too, but now I do it when I take my dog for a walk. That way, the physical activity helps keep me awake and mentally focused.

[Cloudwalker]

I DON'T DO MORNINGS!!! I intersperse my prayer time during the day. I work in a hotel (front desk/reservations) and during my shift there are often large portions of time where there is nothing for me to do, as far as work is concerned. I often spend most of that time praying, yes I get interrupted from time to time but I'm sure God understands. Then at night, while I'm laying in bed, I spend more time praying. It ends the day good and quiets my mind. And if I fall asleep praying, what a better way to sleep than cradled in my loving Father's arms.

[Ta-An]

Whispering Grace try going to bed earlier

[Dani H]

Whispering Grace try going to bed earlier

What she said.

Or, spend the nighttime with the Lord.

Did you know the Jewish day begins at sunset? So you may not be a morning person, but it's okay to be an evening person. That's when the day starts, according to Scripture. So, just start out your day with the Lord ... in the evening, discuss the day gone by, pray ahead for the coming day, and go to bed having spent the first part of the day with the Lord and then resting. I can't think of a better way to start any day, yes?

[Ta-An]

This morning, I managed to get up about 6:30, went to my place of prayer, kneeled down, prayed for a few minutes, and then woke up an hour later...still kneeling right where I'd started. NOT fruitful to say the least.

Do not kneel resting with your elbows on the bed.... If you want to kneel, do so without being close to your bed. You can also stand and pray

I also do not sit in my bed, but rather on my bed or on a chair, not a recliner more like a dining-room chair

[Whispering Grace]

Do not kneel resting with your elbows on the bed.... If you want to kneel, do so without being close to your bed. You can also stand and pray

I also do not sit in my bed, but rather on my bed or on a chair, not a recliner more like a dining-room chair

Yeah, I suppose kneeling is not the best option when you're tired!

I also like to pray prostrate on the floor, but as you can imagine, it is a very easy position to fall asleep in!


Thanks for all of your replies. I guess it's just going to be a matter of training my weak flesh to make it do what it doesn't want to do.

The frustrating thing is that back when I was working, I had to get up at 5am to get to work. I always managed to drag myself out of bed then, of course. Why, then, can't I do it for One who is more important than any job? I think that's what is frustrating me the most.

[moonglow]

Yeah, I suppose kneeling is not the best option when you're tired!

I also like to pray prostrate on the floor, but as you can imagine, it is a very easy position to fall asleep in!


Thanks for all of your replies. I guess it's just going to be a matter of training my weak flesh to make it do what it doesn't want to do.

The frustrating thing is that back when I was working, I had to get up at 5am to get to work. I always managed to drag myself out of bed then, of course. Why, then, can't I do it for One who is more important than any job? I think that's what is frustrating me the most.

The difference is once you got up to get ready for work, you were moving around...getting dressed, eating breakfast...physically moving..that helps a person wake up and stay awake. But when praying we are not moving so its very easy to fall asleep! You need a moving around while praying verse... Wonder if there is one?

Hey there are scriptures about lifting our hands in praise and prayer...maybe you need to do that. Stand and turn your face and hands upwards while you pray.


Psalm 63:4
I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.


Psalm 134:2
Lift up holy hands in prayer, and praise the Lord.

Be a little more physical while praying. When we aren't moving around our heart rate and breathing slows down..which of course you know since you are a nurse...then when moving around all of that increases which in turn helps us be more alert.

Hope that helps.

God bless

[sedux]

Brother Mark and Ta-An gave some very good advice I don't usually like to pray with my eyes closed because doing so makes it harder to focus for me, and my mind tends to wonder more.

I usually have my quiet times with the Lord before I goto bed and in the morning, I pray while droppin my lil one off or driving to work. *Did I mention that I don't close my eyes when I pray?* Okay good!

[moonglow]

Brother Mark and Ta-An gave some very good advice I don't usually like to pray with my eyes closed because doing so makes it harder to focus for me, and my mind tends to wonder more.

I usually have my quiet times with the Lord before I goto bed and in the morning, I pray while droppin my lil one off or driving to work. *Did I mention that I don't close my eyes when I pray?* Okay good!

SO glad you don't close your eyes and pray while driving! I always pray after dropping my son off at school...for him..and I also keep my eyes open too...lol