The Privileged Life: Make Your Bed…and Pray

Did you make your bed this morning?

If so, good! Give yourself a little happy pat on the back.

If you didn’t…oh well, there’s always tomorrow.

What’s so important about this, and why would I devote a full blog to it?

Simple. Starting your day with a made-up bed propels you into a positive trajectory. It’s an ordinary little habit but one that can affect the rest of your agenda. And, it discourages you from crawling back in until nighttime!

Little practices like this add up to big effects, according to James Clear who wrote “Atomic Habits.” Clear maintains that when you faithfully repeat a habit for several weeks, it becomes second nature. I’ve found this to be very true in establishing positive patterns in my life.

*A made-up bed is a welcoming, happy sight!*

For my own productivity, I need visual order in our house. If our bed is all rumpled, it’s a distraction that keeps me off focus. It gives me the feeling that my life is in a mess…even if I’m gone all day and no one else enters our bedroom.

How about you? Do you work more efficiently in an uncluttered environment? I think most people do. I work from home, and it’s hard enough to keep my desk papers in order. But if stuff is on the floor or the countertops are covered in dirty dishes, it’s tough to get into my work routine. Things are amiss.

Our God is the Creator of order, the exact opposite of the disorder, chaos, and confusion generated by the devil. If you contemplate the precision of His handiwork in the placement of atoms, the machinery of the human body, the spinning of the earth, and all other elements of Creation, there’s no way to deny the exquisite order of an Intelligence behind it.

Just as trash scattered all over the highway median is no accident, neither is the beauty of a nebula or rose. Our incredible Earth has been carefully planned. Every day, we need to raise our hands in applause to our living Lord for giving us such an orderly place to live.

What does visual order mean for you? Maybe it’s a clean sink. My grandmother couldn’t sleep until her kitchen sink was emptied…while in labor, she had to finish the dishes before she headed to her bedroom to birth my dad! My brother David has always declared that “life looks better through a clean sink,” and he’s right.

Maybe you’re the kind of person who can let everything else fall apart around you, but you have to keep the bathroom clean or your desk has to be perfectly clear. Whatever your needs, it means taking just a few moments to get things right by cleaning up.

My challenge to you (and myself) is to use your habit time in prayer. Making your bed should take less than a minute, not a lot of time. But if you’re on the run, it might be your only prayer moment in the morning. Take advantage of it.

I still highly recommend a regular quiet time for Bible study and prayer, a habit so much easier now for me to maintain since I no longer go into an office or classroom. But I f you don’t have a lot of available time before your work begins, carve it out of your evening routine.

Are you a sink cleaner? Place Scriptures nearby to memorize while you wipe things out. Got a busy day ahead of you in your workspace? Get a flip calendar of daily Bible verses to start your day with meditation and silent prayer.

Whatever your schedule, start by talking with God as you make your bed. Praise Him as you put dishes away. Ask Him to guard your words as you clean up your desk. Confess your sins and listen for His forgiving voice as you fold laundry.

Take your little habits and give them to God with prayer to launch your day with Him! What are your favorites? What gives you joy in visual order? Share them in the comments section below!

God of Creation, help me to order my days by getting off on the right foot with You. Give me the self-discipline and enthusiasm to develop the good habit of practicing Your presence with me, whatever my task. Grant me the peace and joy of Your Holy Spirit as I give my day’s agenda to You—and make me flexible to welcome Your divine interruptions! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her weekly blogs are featured on Crossmap.com. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at http://lightbournecreative.com and subscribe at the bottom.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #prayer #quiettime #makeyourbed #creation #jamesclear #atomichabits