From Routine to Renewal: The Power of Starting the Day with Prayer
In this thought-provoking episode of To Be and Do, host Philip Amerson invites listeners to pause and reflect on the deeper layers of their identity through a simple, daily ritual. Opening with the melodic rhyme, “Clock strikes ten. Coffee time again,” Phil sets the mood for a moment of contemplation amid the rush of daily responsibilities and the noise of a world that often seems driven toward “judgment day.”
Today’s installment is the third in Phil’s “Because” series—short, insightful thought experiments that challenge us to examine our inner lives beyond the surface. Phil raises a fundamental question: How do we know ourselves, and where do we draw our strength and hope each day? He gently nudges listeners to consider their morning routines, observing how easy it is for faith—especially Christianity—to become just an “outer garment,” a thin veneer that doesn’t truly shape who we are.
Phil expresses concern that the practice of starting the day with prayer and scripture reading is fading among many Christians. He notes that for too many, faith can become a superficial label rather than a source of authentic guidance and identity. To counter this trend, Phil proposes a simple experiment: For the next week—or, if you are up for it, the next month—begin each morning with a time of prayer, followed by reading a chapter from the New Testament, especially the Gospels. He recommends starting with the Gospel of John, inviting listeners to engage more deeply with their spiritual roots.
Throughout the episode, Phil emphasizes the desire to be more than “shallow Christians,” urging all people of faith to build practices that cultivate inner depth and genuine presence. The goal is to let faith sink beneath the surface—to become the foundation of who we are and how we move through the world.
Key Takeaways:
- Examine Your Routine: Reflect on how your morning habits influence your spiritual and personal identity.
- Go Beyond the Surface: Avoid letting your faith—or core values—become a mere outward label; let them inform and transform your inner life.
- Daily Devotion: Consider the power of starting each day with prayer and reading a chapter from the Gospels, nurturing a habit of intentional reflection.
- Cultivate Depth: Strive to be more than a “shallow” practitioner by cultivating substantive, daily spiritual practices that shape your character and actions.
- Ongoing Challenge: Phil encourages listeners to make this a lasting change, checking in on their spiritual progress and allowing these practices to lead to lasting growth.
Ending with a warm benediction—“From now till ever after, it’s a cup of love and laughter. So come on, old friend, it’s coffee time again”—Phil leaves us with both comfort and a gentle challenge: Let’s make every morning a little more meaningful.
Philip Amerson [00:00:01]:
Clock strikes ten. Coffee time again. While the world is rushing to its judgment day. Judgment day. Greetings. This is Phil Emerson. We're doing another because episode. These are short little thought experiments.
Philip Amerson [00:00:23]:
And today, because number three is around. Well, your identity and how do you know yourself and what gives you strength and where do you look for hope? I want to encourage you to consider what you do at the beginning of a day. Oh, you may get up and read the paper or have breakfast, brush your teeth. Of course, some point you put on your clothes. But I'm amazed at how many Christians no longer start the day with just a time of devotions, a time of reading the scriptures. Christianity has become in our time for too many, just kind of a veneer that's put on top. You know, it's something to be on the outside, it's the outer garment, but it doesn't really come. Go deep into who we are and what shapes us.
Philip Amerson [00:01:31]:
Why don't you begin and do a little experiment for the next. Well, I would like to ask you for the rest of your life, but let's just say for the next week, for the next month, start the morning with a time of prayer and just don't try to read it all. Just read a chapter in the scripture. For those of us that are Christians, we want to read the whole book, but we don't read enough from the New Testament, especially the Gospels. So because we want to be more than just some outward face, some not very thick presence of Christ in the world, let's begin the practice of every day reading the Scripture. Start with the Gospel of I don't know, John, and we'll check in on that from time to time. Because number three, and I'll bet you can guess what, because number four, fifth of the sixth of may be just because we want to be more than shallow Christians, shallow people of faith. No matter what your faith tradition, God bless.
Philip Amerson [00:02:54]:
From now till ever after, it's a cup of love and laughter. So come on, old friend, it's coffee time again. Sa.
