Is Morning Devotion as Important as Breakfast?

Life itself is stressful, irritating, busy, hectic, and so much more. But it can also be peaceful, easy-going, wholesome, and fulfilling. Many people wonder why they often feel the stressful side of life more than the peaceful side. A good bit of the determining factor has to do with how you start your day. A good breakfast is a good starter, but what about prayer or devotion. I am speaking about Christian prayer and devotion, but even if you are not of the Christian faith, some prayer or meditation in the morning before the rush at work or school can really change how you feel about your day.

I know of several people who have benefited from morning prayer, meditation, and devotion, including myself. It does make a difference to your frame of mind just like a healthy breakfast makes a difference to how well your body functions throughout the day. A lot of people take care of the physical and ignore the need for mental preparation, calming and stability. You mind has a very powerful influence on your body and physical wellness as well.

There has been noticeable improvement when people wake up 10 to 15 minutes earlier than they usually do, eat breakfast, and spend that extra time in devotion, prayer, or meditation. Even some stretches or small exercises while you meditate or pray can ease a lot of stress. But if you don't have 10 to 15 minutes to spare, then take 2 to 3 minutes to pray and get out all the things that worry you about the day at hand. Getting out all the worries and lifting them off of your subconscious will make the day seem lighter already.

Prayer:
Prayer is a good way to just communicate with God, to center yourself on him, and to give up your cares and worries into his hands. It lifts the weight of life from your shoulders. The more you pray about the things that bother you or worry you in your life the more positive you will feel.

Devotion:
Many people don't have the time or the knack for coming up with their own devotions. Thankfully there are lots of devotional books out there to help with that. Almost every book store carries them, and all major books stores have them. A Christian book store is more likely to have a larger variety than a general book store like Books-a-million or Barnes & Noble. You can even order them on-line if you don't have access to one of these stores near you.

But there are devotional books for women, teens, teachers, men, etc. There is sure to be one out there that will draw you in and speak to your heart.

Meditation:
There are a lot of ways to meditate, because meditation is really just the relaxation of the body and mind. Some people do yoga or Ti chi, but you don't have to go all "health nut" to meditate and better center your mind. Some people buy incense that appeals to them, light it, and sit with their eyes closed for a few minutes (as long as you don't go to sleep), while others buy some calming water sounds music or Cd's with the sounds of the ocean or birds or night sounds and play that while they sit and do deep breathing exercises. Any way you go, you're sure to reap the benefits of meditation.

So there are some ways to relax and have a relaxed and healthy mind and a healthy spirit.

Think about prayer, devotion, and meditation the next time you have a rough day, and perhaps the next day won't be so rough.