In most areas of life, ruts are a bad thing. Drive your car over one and, ouch, there goes the alignment. Let your marriage get into one and you will be bored and dissatisfied. But when it comes to spiritual exercises, ruts can be a really good thing.
My favorite rut is my morning prayer. First thing every morning, I pray four things for myself, my family, my church and my staff. I pray for the salvation of five of my family members. I thank God for the new day and ask Him to use me to add value to each person I will be meeting with. (I use my calendar for that part.) I pray almost the same thing in almost the same words every morning. This rut has a cleansing effect on me. It draws me close to the Lord and drives His power into my life and concerns. On the rare days when I don’t practice this prayer rut, I feel like is missing all day long.
I have other things and people I pray for throughout the day, but this first prayer of the day is a no-brainer for me. Infrequently-practiced disciplines can be a chore. Routinely-practiced disciples become a joy.
What ruts are working for you?
