Blessings of Everyday Rhythms

If you ask my children what they had for breakfast on, say, the fourth Tuesday of August 2014, they’d quickly reply, “Bagels and smoothies!” It’s not because they have exceptional memories. It’s the result of everyday routines, or rhythms. 

Finding Freedom through Daily Rhythms

As a young mom, I was completely overwhelmed by the chaos of getting four children out the door for school by 7:30 a.m. I quickly embraced parenting advice that encouraged developing a morning routine. The most consistent aspect of our routine was a daily breakfast menu. Reading about the importance of a good breakfast for students, I wanted to send my kids to school with full tummies. In the kitchen on Mondays, my children found baked goods and fruit; Tuesdays brought smoothies and bagels; Wednesday’s menu consisted of eggs and toast; Thursdays featured oatmeal; and our week ended with cereal on Fridays. Saturdays were open for free choice, and we enjoyed eggs again on Sundays before heading to church.

This rhythm was so helpful that it’s become a part of our family life that’s still going strong to this day. Knowing what’s on the menu each morning simplifies shopping because my grocery list is similar each week. Everyone knows what they are going to find in the kitchen each morning, so there are no surprises that might frustrate a sleepy child (or teenager). As we developed our schedule, everyone got input so even if some days featured items someone didn’t prefer, they knew a favorite meal was coming soon. One thing I didn’t expect is the way a weekly menu encouraged me to be creative within each category. “Baked goods” is actually an expansive category with lots of room for creative expression.

Discovering Spiritual Rhythms

This simplistic schedule gets to the heart of something important—there can be great value in developing purposeful rhythms. Just as there are routines that help make something small, like daily breakfast, more manageable, there are also rhythms that help us on our spiritual journeys. 

If that idea interests you, and you’d like to consider how to create a rhythm with spiritual practices, a great place to start is developing a rhythm around engaging with God through prayer.  Some routines of prayer may already be part of your life, and it’s helpful to celebrate those rhythms. The regular routine of praying before a meal might seem rote, but it truly is a beautiful way to regularly stop and acknowledge God’s presence and provision. Even for young kids, a consistent pause to pray before turning off the light before bed can develop a life-long rhythm of ending the day with prayer. It’s worth considering if there are other set times during the day that adding a pause for you to pray can develop a meaningful prayer routine.

One rhythm that has brought consistency to my prayer life and helped me to be “faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12) is using a prayer calendar. Like my breakfast routine, I have developed a schedule that helps me to be intentional about my prayer life. Each morning, I pray through a short list of people and activities that I want to pray for daily. Sometimes I only need to pray a short blessing. Other days, I find that a difficult situation or the need for God to provide guidance causes me to focus on a particular individual. But all are remembered daily.

Then I have divided up all my other prayer concerns over five days. If you glanced at my prayer calendar, you might notice that I pray for friends on Monday and my coworkers on Tuesdays. On Wednesday, I pray for work projects, and I bring ministries I’m involved with before the Lord on Thursdays. To end the week, I pray for extended family members on Fridays. Saturdays and Sundays are open to whatever is most pressing on my heart, or for the upcoming church service. Over the years the list has shifted and changed, but I’ve found freedom knowing that when I promise to pray for someone or a request, I’ve already got a designated time that helps me to be faithful to my word.

With a regular routine, I’ve also been able to explore other forms of prayer during my mornings with the Lord. Sometimes, I pray specific passages of Scripture for people on my prayer list. There have been seasons when I ask those on my prayer list for a word that I can pray on their behalf for an extended season. With a little bit of structure, my prayer life has also become more creative.

Embracing Flexibility in Rhythms

I’m not perfect at keeping any of my rhythms. Sometimes we’ve gone to toast bagels and realized the bag is empty, or we’ve given our kids granola bars because the morning was a little too hectic to actually make oatmeal. Occasionally, we’ve enjoyed brunch on a Saturday at a favorite restaurant. Flexibility and spontaneity keeps me from being too regimented! And sometimes my morning prayer routine hasn’t gone as planned. I’ve slept through my alarm or my prayers were a rapid fire list of requests instead of a meaningful time of engaging with God. Some days I’ve listened to worship music and just allowed the songs to fill my morning. But knowing I’ll come back to my list gives me freedom and flexibility.

As you think about ways to continue to grow in the practice of prayer, consider asking the Lord if there are meaningful rhythms that you can incorporate into your life so that you can “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that [you] may receive mercy and find grace” (Hebrews 4:16).

—Written by Lisa M. Samra. Used by permission from the author.