This post is written by Passionate Homemaking’s monthly contributor, Kat.
Preparations
We set out their clothes, make their breakfast, and tidy the house so that our children can start the day off well.
But there is an even more important preparation we need to make before the day begins.
We need to prepare the day for them. To pave the way in prayer. To prepare our hearts and attitudes to welcome them to a day full of potential.
They take their cues from us. If we wake up late and grumpy, there’s a good chance they’ll be grumpy. If we greet them with a smile and hope for the day, there’s a good chance they’ll be hopeful and happy too.
We don’t need to wake up 2 hours early. 5 minutes will do wonders. Just a focused window of prayer, thanksgiving and a little “pep talk” from the Coach before the “game” begins.
I love to meet the day before sunrise (or kid-rise or husband-rise). In the early morning, It’s a truly blank canvas. The day laid out in all it’s vastness – full of possibility.
3 Steps For Preparing The Day For Your Family
1. Start With A Grateful Heart
I’m not always chipper in the morning. I don’t always feel like praying. It’s amazing how much my attitude changes after just a minute of thanking the Lord for all the wonderful blessings He’s given me.
2. Focused Prayer for Each Person
I use this calendar to pray for my husband and this calendar to pray for my children. In the fog of the early morning or the rush of a late morning, they give me direction and focus as I pray for my family.
3. Worship
One of my favorite songs to listen to in the morning is by Christy Nockels and it’s called Invade. I’m pretty sure Christy could sing Father Abraham 128,897,979 times in a row and I think I’d soak in every single repetitive note. She has such a gorgeous voice. Combine that voice with these amazing lyrics and that makes for a wonderful morning anthem.
Jesus, come and walk the halls of this house
Tread this place and turn it inside out
With Your mercy…
Jesus, teach us the prayers that open these doors
Until Your light floods in and illuminates these floors
And let Your truth be on our steps and in these rooms
Jesus invade…
Welcoming Our Children to Today
What an honor we have as moms to greet our children with all the hope of a fresh, brand new day.
Today could be one of the best days of our entire lives.
Today could be the day our patience overtakes our impatience – for good.
Today could be a day we make memories my children will laugh and talk about for 50 years.
Today could be a day God uses us to change someone’s life – forever.
Let’s take seriously our opportunity to prepare our children for the wonders of Today.
I needed to read these words today. I love getting up before my family–but I use that time to shower, make breakfast, and, if I have extra time, spend some time in The Word. How much better will my day be when I wake up tomorrow and pray for my kiddos! Thanks for the encouragement!
Kat:
I really enjoyed this post! I did not have a great start this morning and I know when that happens, it can reflect in our children. Thank you so much for the encouragement and it is so true, sometimes we think we need 2 hours to get prepared, when just 5 minutes of focused prayer can make all the difference in the world. I know that happens to me a lot, thinking I need at least 1 to 2 hours to prepare for the day and more than likely, depending on what’s on the agenda, I’m not going to always have that kind of time. I get caught in a routine way of doing things and when my routine is interrupted, sometimes I get devastated or completely frustrated. When this happens, I think sometimes we become to legalistic and we miss the whole point. Thanks for bringing us back to simplicity.
Thank you so much for this post, as well as the calendars. I’ve struggled to get up early to spend time with God, but have never thought of praying for my husband or girls during that time. Truth be told, I thank Him for them often, but am not in a practice of praying for them in specific ways. This is such an eye-opening moment for me, and I sincerely thank you for giving me such wonderful guidance in this.
This finds me sobbing as I have felt depressed, overwhelmed, apathetic, a failure and lots of other emotions this morning. I sat crying in my shower not too long ago. Thank you for this encouragement, especially that it can only take 5 minutes. I am so not a morning person and its very hard to get up let alone get up long before the girls. God has used you to help give me direction that I have been crying out for.
Very beautiful post!
I especially enjoyed, “Today could be a day God uses us to change someone’s life – forever.” I’ve never been a morning person but I should change my ways. I shouldn’t feel bad when I start my day… it may be the best day of my life! Thanks for the inspiration. I see there is an Ebook link in the comments above, I’m going to check it out
I love this post!
This has truly been a beautiful, short, sweet read. Thank you.
Great post!
Thank you for wonderful inspiration. I’ve printed out the calendars. Now to get myself out of bed in the morning. I know it would/will make a world of difference.
You know, I have an ebook for that…
And it’s free.
If you didn’t see it on my blog, here’s the link: http://inspiredtoaction.com/ebook/
Enjoy!
Thanks for the great reminders…it seems like lately I’ve been so impatient with my kids and the kids I watch every week. The Lord has been impressing on my heart that I need to change my attitudes with the all the kids, I believe He is showing me through your blog that it my attitude will change once my focus is on Him and the way for that to happen is through prayer. Simple, I know.
So, to make a long story short, the prayer calendar you suggested has been printed off and will be used!! 
Thanks so much!
Your children are blessed to have you as a mother. Thank you for these wonderful ideas.
Aw…thanks Anna!
Truly inspiring post! Thank you for your words! God Bless!
I really enjoyed this post. Your words mean a lot to me as someone who doesn’t always start my day on such a positive note! I tend to end my day in prayer, but love the idea of beginning each day with specific words to God on behalf of my family. Thank you so much for sharing these words.
These are excellent things to reflect on, Kat. I especially appreciated the part where you talked about how kids take cues from their parents. I find that to be so very true. If I am grumpy or impatient, my kids tend to mirror those attitudes. Similarly, If I am loving, spontaneous, and lighthearted, they follow suit.
Kat, I really appreciate you posts. I love how you are able to get the root of the importance of being one step ahead of our families instead of letting the children dictate how our day runs. Thank you for being faithful to the Word of God!
Thank you so much! I needed this today!
You’re welcome Samantha!
Kat, you are so awesome! I love this and it just confirms my reasons for wanting to rise before my children. Today I did this (with my husbands help and encouragement) just 1/2 hour early and I was much more ready for them.
In fact, instead of serving them cold cereal, I made them eggs, sausage, and toast!!! I was blessed to bless them, even in this small way.
I love the calendars!!! What a great idea!
Christin,
That’s wonderful!!! I think *you’re* awesome!
Great reminders. I was just realizing how difficult life has become with 3 little kids. I can’t imagine living a day without the Lord!
I love the last four lines of your post , Welcoming Our Children to Today! I have printed those out and will post them on my frig!
I made the fridge! That’s too cool.
Thanks Susan!
Thank you, Kat, for sharing your wisdom again! These are things I have learned over the past year and it is such an encouragement to hear them reiterated. Have a blessed day!
Hi Kat!
I’ve been having better mornings since using your max mornings ebook, and have just this past week added using the prayer calendars to my quiet time. It has been good. And I’m looking forward to it getting even better! Thanks.
Wow, thanks for this post. I’ve had a few rough nights lately with the little ones, and haven’t had my early morning quiet time. Thanks for reminding me that sometimes five minutes is enough. More important is being intentional. I’ve downloaded the e-book and prayer calendars. Much appreciated.
Thank you so much for this encouraging post! And, I just printed the prayer calendars. What wonderful resources and reminders!
We move often with my husband’s military career. Whenever we settle into a new home, I play and pray the song “Invade.” It’s powerful and anointed! I need to listen to it more often. =)
Thank you again!! ~ Sheri
You’re welcome Sheri!
Talk about right place at the right time….I’ve been really feeling a need to be more organized and add some….not structure….but more guidance to our days…Guidance for both myself and my children. I’ve been wondering how…how to plan…how I could do it as structure kinda freaks me out (my father was very, very structured and unloving and as a child I connected the two and I still struggle to seperate them.). I never thought about getting up earlier than they do and I definitly didn’t think about saying any prayers.
Thanks I really needed to hear this.
Honey
This truly is an inspiration to me. Thank you! I’ve been having a tough time with a cleaning routine and feeling like my home is running smoothly. Now that my son is 2 and I’m not hurting for sleep, I think I will try waking up at 6am for one week (my son usually gets up around 7, give or take 15 minutes) and see how it goes. It sounds wonderful to start the morning with my house in order and myself in order!
Great news! I’ve been waking up at 6am and I DO feel more ready for the day even when I’ve gone to bed late. I think this may become a habit!
I am amazed that this post came to my inbox today. I was marveling just now at how perfectly my day went, even though my 18 month old had a checkup w/ 3 shots, and my 4.5 year old in tow. Perfect day, lovely day, happy, loving attitudes all around.
Then I read this and remembered something.
Last night before bed, I prayed to God that I would wake up and be patient. All day long. And I was so at peace this entire day. So patient. Not tired. It was a beautiful time with my babies. Thank you for adding more ideas to this practice for me. I love it.
My husband and I have been talking about this very subject for the past few months. We have both been led by the Lord to begin praying a LOT more for our family – each other and our three children. We’ve been very blessed to see these prayer times come to fruition in each of their lives – from differences in attitudes and obedience, to ease of potty training, to the recent salvation of our oldest, who is 3. God is SO good to hear and respond to our prayers! Thank you so much for your post – the calendars are wonderful reminders for us, and I know that my husband will be excited when I show him! Thank you!
Thank you for this- it’s simple but valuable. The last part brought tears to my eyes- I will print it off as a reminder and thanks for prayer calendars! Wonderful!
What I great reminder! I didn’t pray for my son as much as I do now and wish I would have done that more when he was younger. Now I pray every morning, before I get up, that he is well, has a great day at school and is able to handle the day (he has a progressive neurological disease and goes to summer school, two, half days a week). Every night, I thank the Lord for giving me another day with him. I pray that he doesn’t have seizures, that he stays out of the hospital and that he (the Lord) keeps him well. I also am very happy and positive when I get him ready for school. I tell him it’s going to be a great day and sing songs to him. He’s 18 but he’s a tired young man at this stage of his disease. Although my ex-husband and I are divorced, he’s just as upbeat. He tries to get my son all fired up and excited to go to his house on his weekends. I also pray for other people and always pray for special needs children around the world, their parents, care givers and the medical staff that cares for them.
Prayer is so powerful and it’s just a wonderful reminder that it’s just one more thing we can do to help our children have a great day and have a great life.
One item on my to do list, that I haven’t done yet, is to create a prayer book of people to pray for. Thanks for the reminder.
Your story is touching. I find that I have a hard time being upbeat if I am the only one. This is very encouraging, and convicting to me. I was listening today about how as mothers, even though some days we may feel invisible and unappreciated, that we are continually laying the bricks that help form our children to be who they will one day become. I will pray for you, that you will continue to run the race to the finish. God bless you!
We are starting back to homeschool this week..getting back to a “regular” schedule…this was a timely reminder and much appreciated. thank you for that!
what a gentle reminder…
Such timely advice. I often forget the power we have as mothers and wives to set the tone in our homes!!
beautiful – thanks, Kat! What an encouragement!
Sarah,
I don’t recall the name of the album, but if you search for Watermark you’ll find it. That’s the name of the duo she was in with her husband.
I’ll check the album name when I get home.
So amazing how God confirms when He is prompting us – I was just feeling this morning how I need to make that time before my daughter gets up, even though she gets up at the crack of dawn (literally!) I really appreciate you sharing the prayer calendars too! Question: I was trying to locate the song “invade” on iTunes – I haven’t found it. Could you share the album it is on or where you purchased it? Thanks so much!
Sarah,
It’s on the album, The Purest Place. Here’s the link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/invade/id15204462?i=15204449
Thank you Kat!
What an encouraging article with wonderful focus to begin our days by looking to the Lord. I appreciate your specific ideas, and your attitude! AWESOME!!!
Blessings to you!
Ann
I get up before anyone else, but I always have trouble praying first thing. I love the prayer calenders! Thank you for sharing them.
Thanks so much for this articulate reminder and the encouragement. What an awesome responsibility it is to be raising children – and it’s so much more than brushing teeth, clean clothes, and something quick that passes for breakfast.
Peace & Blessings.
Great tips! I have been off and on trying to get up earlier. Usually when I do, the kids wake up sooner (?!?!?!). But today I did get up and I testify with you what a diffference it makes!
Yeah, how on earth does it always work out that way?!!! It’s like they have 24-7 radar on you and if Mom’s up, hey, let’s get this party started! I feel like I just can’t win!
This is such a gentle and wonderful reminder on how to bless our children. Thank you, I needed this today.
You’re welcome Jeana!
I really love this…thank you.
Thank you so much for this! I need to be much better at deliberately preparing the day for my little ones. I do a great job of preparing for myself, but they need to get into this habit as well. And the idea to start with worship…fabulous!!! We will be starting this tomorrow.
Awesome!
What a great encouragement! Waking up early is probably the best tip I could give any mom. When my son was an infant, I would sleep until his cries woke me, and I would almost always be cranky when I went to get him! Now, I wake at least an hour before him each day, giving me time to get physically ready for the day, and more importantly, to get spiritually ready. I have experienced time and time again that my family will feed off my mood when I wake them. Thank you for the good reminder! I also love the song “Invade”. I put the lyrics on my fridge, and am daily encouraged by them.
Amanda,
I hadn’t thought of printing the lyrics out. That’s a great idea!
thanks, Kat. That encouragment and reminder is always needed.
You’re welcome, Meredith!
You are so right! 5 minutes can do wonders – it’s true! I have been practicing this now for 3 years straight. I have a group of girls I email called the “Good Morning Girls”. We all rise early before the kids wake and have our quiet times and then email each other and say good morning and share what we read. I read in John 2 today and emailed the good morning girls before 7am!
It has changed the dynamic of my home and the accountability has helped so much that I started a seperate blog encouraging women to do the same here:
http://goodmorninggirls.squarespace.com/blog/2010/4/24/welcome-to-good-morning-girls.html
This morning time is precious – but I know some seasons of life this is difficult…
Keep walking with the King!
Courtney
http://www.womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com
This is such a wonderful example of how important daily preparation is whether it be physical or spiritual. Thank you so much for including the calendars. I always thought a prayer was suppose to come from ones own mind but everything on the calendars is what I want and hope for my family. I’ll be sure to use them. Thanks.
I hope you find the calendars very useful, Jackie!