35 Powerful Morning Prayers To Start the Day Strong
Every day is full of opportunities and challenges. We never know what we are going to face as we go through our daily routines. However, one way to ensure that we are prepared for whatever comes our way is to begin each day with a morning prayer. God knows exactly what we will encounter and will prepare us for it if we only ask. So, what exactly should we be praying for and about in these early hours? We'll go over what types of things we should be praying for and examples of 35 helpful prayers for the morning hours that are sure to bless you.
Praying at the very beginning of the day is a powerful, great way of putting God first. Whether you wake up to chat with Jesus while it's still dark outside, or you speak to him over coffee and the sunrise, or take advantage of your commute to work by sharing your fears, hopes and questions on the drive, there are plenty of opportunities to start the day strong and feel blessed before your day even really begins.
If we wait for later, there is a good chance we'll get too busy with other things and forget. God loves to hear from us and having him as our priority is honoring to him. We can praise him, ask him for guidance and remember his promises and blessings. There truly are so many benefits to morning prayer!
Related: 50 Good Night Prayers for Sleep, Protection and Peace When Your Head Hits the Pillow
The Benefits of Morning Prayer
1. Praising God puts us in the right frame of mind.
When we have a spirit of gratitude, it's easy to count our blessings and be reminded that God is good. It helps us to start the day on a happy note and it's more likely that the day will continue that way.
2. We can feel equipped to face the day's trials.
Everyone goes through trials and challenges at some point. Asking God to prepare you for trials before they even happen gives you the armor you need to get through those challenges. When our focus is on him, it helps to put things in a better perspective.
3. We are better able to fight temptations.
We all know what are weaknesses are. If we ask God to keep us from temptation, we can be equipped to fight our own natural desires.
4. Gain confidence to take advantage of opportunities.
We also are given many opportunities to shine each day. Instead of shying away from them because of our own self-doubt, we should pray for confidence. With God on our side, we can do anything that is in his will, no matter how difficult it seems. He gives us so many promises that we can claim that provide us with the courage we need.
Related: 'I Will Fear No Evil' —20 Prayers for Protection During Life's Difficult Circumstances
Morning Prayer Bible Verses
The Bible is full of prayer verses that would be perfect to start your day off with. Here are some of the best verses for the morning.
1. "Give ear to my words, O Lord. Consider my groaning. Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God. For to You I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to you and eagerly watch." — Psalm 5:1-3
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2. "Let me hear your loving kindness in the morning; For I trust in you; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to you, I lift up my soul." — Psalm 143:8
3. "Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." — Matthew 6:9-13
4. "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me." — I Chronicles 4:10
5. "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." — Psalm 19:14
6. "Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation. For You I wait all the day." — Psalm 25:5
7. "O satisfy us in the morning with Your loving kindness that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." — Psalm 90:14
8. "O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be their strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of distress." — Isaiah 33:2
9. "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." — Hebrews 4:16
10. "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might." — Ephesians 1:18-20
Related: Hallelujah! 50 Marriage Prayers for a Blessed New Beginning as a Married Couple
Empowering Morning Prayers
1. Dear God, Thank you for this day. Please guide and direct me in everything I do and say so that I will honor you. Strengthen me for any challenges that I will face and remind me of your perfect will. Keep me far from harm and evil and help me to resist temptations. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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2. "Dear Lord, as we rise to meet each new day, please let us be filled with Your spirit. Wherever we go, let us spread love, joy, peace, goodness, and faithfulness. Let us desire to become more like you and to worship you in all we do. Help us desire these things so much more than the sin that entices us. Thank you for always going before us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen." — Dr. Charles Stanley
3. "Dear God, Thank you for your amazing power and work in our lives, thank you for your goodness and for your blessings over us. Thank you for your great love and care. Thank you for your sacrifice so that we might have freedom and life. Forgive us for when we don't thank you enough, for who you are, for all that you do, for all that you've given. Help us to set our eyes and our hearts on you afresh. Renew our spirits, and fill us with your peace and joy. We love you and we need you, this day and every day. We give you praise and thanks, for You alone are worthy! In Jesus' Name, Amen." — Debbie McDaniel
4. "Lord Jesus, today is Your day and I want Your will to be done. So whatever happens, hold my hand and let's face it together. Amen." — Back To The Bible
5. "Good morning, Lord. Today is a new day, a chance for a new start. Yesterday is gone and with it any regrets, mistakes or failures I may have experienced. It's a good day to be glad and give thanks, and I do Lord. Thank you for today, a new opportunity to love, give and be all that you want me to be. Amen." — Rebecca Barlow Jordan
6. "Lord, grant me the tenacious winsome courage as I go through this day. When I am tempted to give up, help me to keep going. Grant me a cheerful spirit when things don't go my way. And, give me the courage to do whatever needs to be done. In Jesus' Name. Amen." — Dr. Ray Pritchard
7. "God, please enlighten my mind with truth, inflame my heart with love, inspire my will with courage, enrich my life with service. Pardon what I have been, sanctify what I am and order what I shall be. Amen." — Unknown
8. "Gracious Father, as we begin a new day, help us to engage your will with a reckless faith. Teach us to trust in you, and help us grow in righteousness. Heavenly Lord, give us the courage to step out in faith this day. Fill our hearts with your spirit and let us speak your words with pride." — Debbie Przybylski
9. "Father, thank you for the blessing of a family. Today, please keep the enemy at bay. Increase their faith. Protect them from falling into temptation. Grant them the opportunity to shine a light in the darkness and lead others to you. Whatever is making my family anxious today, I ask that you comfort them and that they can rest in your complete sovereignty. Amen." — Topher Haddox
10. "God, help me love the life I live right now. Show me the good things I often overlook and help me be content with what I have. Forgive me when I compare myself to others, forgive me for longing for things outside of You and Your kingdom. Thank You for loving me right where I am, right as I am. Help me keep my eyes on You. In Jesus’ name, Amen." — Nicki Koziarz
Related: Be a Beacon of Hope and Joy by Internalizing These 50 Prayers for Peace
Short Morning Prayers
11. "Lord, I thank you for being my refuge and strength today. This morning, I will sing of your mighty love and faithfulness. During times of trouble and difficulty, help me to run to you–my strong tower. Amen." — Garments of Splendor
12. “Lord, I trust in your unfailing love, in your promises. I give this day and all that it holds to you. May I walk in your goodness, knowing your gentle hand will guide me, and keep me.” – Unknown
13. “Father, I have to thank you for looking beyond my faults and for loving me unconditionally. Forgive me when I fail to love others in the same way. Give me eyes to see the needs of the difficult people in my life, and show me how to meet those needs in a way that pleases You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” – Mary Southerland
14. “Holy Lord, thank You for your grace. Please help me move beyond the hurdles that trip me up and give me the strength and wisdom to look up and see the hope I run toward in Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” – Gwen Smith
15. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” – Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr
16. “God, sometimes life gets me down and I find it hard to see things to be thankful for. Open my eyes to see the gifts you’ve given me in my life. I’m going to start by thanking you for loving me enough to come to earth and die so we can live together forever. Amen.” – Wendy van Eyck
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17. "Heavenly Father, this morning I come to You with a song on my lips and joy in my heart. I thank You for all that You are doing in my life. You are at work when I sense Your presence and even when I don't. I praise you for being God. I rejoice because I am your daughter. Amen." — Emily Biggers
18. "Lord, please help us to turn only to You for comfort and stability when inevitable heartaches and disappointments happen to us. When faced with temptations and the stubbornness of the free will that You have given, guide us so we may not lose our way to do the right thing that is pleasing to Your eyes. Amen." — Oliver Powell
19. "I get so caught up in anxiety, Lord, and when I do, I become blind to the world around me, not to mention the spiritual world. All I see are my imaginary fears (but they seem so real!). Strengthen my faith now, God, I pray. Make it a firm foundation under my unsteady feet. Remind me that you alone are the reason life is worth living, and nothing can ever shake or diminish Your reality. Help me to grab hold of the handle of faith so I can relax and enjoy the life you have given me." — Barbour Staff
20. "Dear Lord, This morning as I contemplate a new day, I ask you to help me. I want to be aware of your spirit—leading me in the decisions I take, the conversations I have, and the work I do. I want to be more like you, Jesus, as I relate to the people I meet today—friends or strangers." — Abide
Strengthening Morning Prayers
21. "Lord, may nothing separate me from You today. Teach me how to choose only Your way today so each step will lead me closer to You. Help me to walk by Your Word and not my feelings. Help me to keep my heart pure and undivided. Protect me from my own careless thoughts, words, and actions. And keep me from being distracted by MY wants, desires, and thoughts on how things should be. Help me to embrace what comes my way as an opportunity...rather than a personal inconvenience. And finally, help me to live in the truth of Psalm 86:13, "Great is your love toward me." Amen." — Lysa TerKeurst
22. “Lord, I want to lay before you all that weighs heavy on my heart. Reveal even the sin I am not aware of, Lord. I lay these at your feet and pray for your forgiveness on me. I believe you when you say that you wash us whiter than snow. Thank you, Lord, for your unending love for me! Help me start fresh right now to make choices that honor you. In Jesus' name, Amen.” – Rick Warren
23. “Dear Father God, Thank You for Your unfailing love for me, Your blessings, and goodness. Thank You for Your faithfulness to guide me and see me through times of uncertainty, for lifting me up, and setting me on high. Thank You for Scripture that comforts and reminds me of Your promises, plan, and provision. Thank you for taking away my fears and worries, the what-ifs, and reminding me that my help comes from You. Help me be a good steward and to sow wisely. In Christ’s name, Amen.” – Renee Davis
24. “Lord, help me let go of my fear of failure. I know Satan wants to use my fears to hold me back from living boldly for You. Forgive me for not living in faith, and help me from this moment on to live with bold confidence in You. Lord, help me not compare myself to others around me. I pray instead that I can keep my eye on you and live a life that proclaims Your excellence. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.” – Rick Warren
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25. "Jesus wake me! Warm my heart with your love. Shake me! Inspire my mind with your words. Fill me! Nourish my soul with your hope. Hold me! Protect my life with your strength. Be with me. As I work, rest and relax today. Amen." — Unknown
26. “Breathe in me O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me O Holy Spirit, that my work may be, too, holy. Draw my heart O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.” – St. Augustine of Hippo
27. “Lord, in the morning I start each day, by taking a moment to bow and pray. Beginning with thanks, I then give praise for all your kind and loving ways. Today if sunshine turns to rain, if a dark cloud brings some pain, I won't doubt or hide in fear. For you, my God, are always near. I will travel where you lead; I will help my friends in need. Where you send me, I will go; with your help, I'll learn and grow. Hold my family in your hands, as we follow your commands. And I will keep you close in sight when I crawl in bed tonight.”– Mary Fairchild
28. "Almighty God, you fill all things with Your presence. In Your great love, keep us near You this day. Grant that we remember You in all we do and have the strength to live by Thy commandments. Help us to love one another as You love us and forgive our sins as we forgive our transgressors, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." — Prayers Of The Early Church
29. "Lord, thank you for your abundant, abounding grace. Thank you that we don't have to earn a drop of the mighty river of grace that flows freely for us today. Thank you for the unexpected, unmerited favor you've showered on my life. Help me put myself in the path of your love and grace. Help me not neglect the disciplines I need to meet with you regularly and to drink from the water of life. Thank you for your rich love. Amen." — David Mathis
30. "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does, in fact, please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone." — Thomas Merton
31. "Dear Lord, You are all-powerful. Please crush my insecurities and doubts so I will be an effective witness of Your strength. Cover me in Your Spirit today and equip me to fend off attacks from the Enemy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen." — Gwen Smith
32. "I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened in order that I may know the hope to which You have called me, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints, and Your incomparably great power to us who believe." — Beth Moore
33. "O God, I long to long for thee every day of my life. Give me the strength I need to push the world aside so that I can enjoy Your presence in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen." — A.W. Tozer
34. "Thank You, Father, for Your Word, which teaches me how to experience true joy. This world sends me a lot of messages through the media and through those who do not know You. I have tried some of the things that are supposed to bring joy, but they always leave me empty in the end. Thank you for the truth. Help me to abide in You, that I might be overflowing with joy. Amen." — Emily Biggers
35. “Father, I am tempted to worry about so many things. Our world is a mess! Forgive me for focusing on anything or anyone but You. Thank You for the Bible that equips and empowers me to live each day. Right now, I declare that You are my only Hope. Please help me remember that You really are in control. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” – Mary Southerland
