The Prayer We Say Every Morning
Last year, I read Habits of the Household. It was an amazing book. In it, author Justin Whitmel Earley emphasizes incorporating short, meaningful prayers into daily routines to foster spiritual formation in families.
The prayers can be a brief "sending" prayer in the morning, as well as a bedtime liturgy that blesses each part of a child's body, all designed to transform ordinary moments into opportunities for growth in love for God and neighbor.
Every morning in the car before the kids walk into school, my boys and I say a prayer together. This prayer always has the same words: “In all that I say, and in all that I do, bring glory, honor and praise to You.”
It’s a short prayer. Simple enough to hear and remember. But it’s also the prayer I want shaping my own life.
I began praying these words regularly, and over time, I’ve seen how God has used them to transform my own life, too. As my work and my heart have become more and more centered on Him, I know it’s no coincidence. A simple prayer has a way of reshaping us from the inside out.
Because at the end of the day, that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Not to be seen as “good” in the world’s eyes. Not to chase success or approval. Not even to accomplish everything on my to-do list. But to live a life that honors God and brings Him glory.
The Bible makes this call clear. 1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Paul doesn’t just mean the big things like planting churches, preaching the Gospel, or leading crowds of people. He means everyday moments. Eating. Drinking. Working. Parenting. Texting a friend back. Folding laundry. Driving to work, school, kids’ activities, etc.
When we set our hearts on honoring God in those things, ordinary life becomes Kingdom work.
That doesn’t mean we’ll get it perfect. I can think of a many moments each day where I fall short. I lose patience, I chase recognition, I choose comfort over obedience. But starting my prayers with this reminder resets my heart. It draws me back to God’s will instead of my own.
And it plants a seed in my kid’s hearts, too. Even if they don’t fully understand yet, I want them to grow up hearing that prayer so often that it becomes second nature. Because someday, they’ll face the same temptations I do: to live for themselves, to seek their own glory. And I want these boys to have this anchor tucked away in her memory: that their lives were created to honor God.
Perhaps this could become a prayer for you, too. Not just in the morning, but throughout the day.
· Before you walk into a meeting, whisper it: “In all that I say, and in all that I do, bring glory, honor and praise to You.”
· Before you post on social media, pause and pray it.
· Before you discipline your kids or talk with your spouse or text your friend back, let this prayer shape your tone.
· Before you start worrying about the future, let it redirect your thoughts back to God’s plan and His glory.
It’s amazing how a single sentence can reframe everything.
We don’t have to overcomplicate God’s will. Sometimes the best place to start is with a small prayer that shifts our perspective back to Him.
“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.”
Adapted from Val Marie Paper.