My Daily Opening Prayer Habits: 5-6 AM

6:05 AM Sunday. Last week, I wrote that "In terms of a Q4 2025 daily prayer goal, I'd like to do a slightly better job of integrating formal apophatic and cataphatic prayer back into my 5-6 AM and 8-9 PM time blocks." I was also thinking about making every Sunday evening from 6-8 PM a dedicated time for review and reflection on my daily prayer life. Well, here we are at the beginning of the second week of Q4, and I am already making two significant changes to this plan. I am advancing my evening prayer block from 7-8 PM so that I get to bed an hour earlier, and I am focusing weekly reflection on my prayer life from 6-8 AM on Sunday mornings. This said, I'd like to spend the rest of my reflection block this morning taking an inventory of my opening prayer habits.

My smartphone alarm went off at 5 AM as usual today. I had it right next to my bed, which is a no-no. I prefer to leave it across the room so that I have to get up promptly to turn the alarm off. Today I turned off the alarm and stayed resting in bed for almost 10 minutes before I finally got myself up. 

The next thing I did is make my bed. 

Then I went downstairs to use the bathroom, put a 1000 mcg B12 tablet under my tongue, and fix a cup of caffeine-free root coffee (Dandy Blend) in the kitchen. My mom was already up, so I briefly checked in on her, too.

Then I walked back up to the meditation cushion in my loft, settled into half-lotus, and wrapped a meditation blanket around my lower body. Within arms' reach on the carpet I had my root coffee, a Bible, a rosary, my daily notecard in its holder, a pen, and my smartphone. I meditated on my daily notecard until about 5:30 AM, then used my smartphone to read last week's entry Daily Prayer Q4 2025 Goal. Often, I will also check the weather forecast, sometimes my email, and sometimes the news. 

At 5:45 AM I used the Centering Prayer app on my phone to start a timed 10-minute silent meditation session. After meditation, I made the sign of the cross, briefly bowed my head with my hands folded in prayer, got up from the meditation cushion, moved my smartphone, notecard holder, pen, and unfinished root coffee to my desktop, and changed from my pajamas into my outfit for the day. I returned to my desktop computer around 6:05 AM and began this morning's writing session.

There is much room for improvement in my daily opening prayer habits. Should I call this first hour of the day "lauds"? Should I train myself to say a prayer while I make the bed? Here is what Gemini recommends: "Lord, thank you for this new day. Guide my thoughts, words, and actions, and help me to live a life that pleases you."  

Cf. The Spiritual Discipline of Making Your Bed | All is Well.

End 8:10 AM.