In that liminal state between wake and sleep, my rambling thoughts bounce around like a pinball. I try to recall the dream I just had. I wonder what time it is. A worry-thought intrudes. I think about something that happened yesterday. I think about this day to come. I think about the grocery list. People I care about come to mind. Sometimes a song is on my heart.

And this morning, I spent some time thinking about thinking. I suppose that might be called metathinking. More specifically, I considered how my waking thoughts usually become prayer.

I’ve long held the idea that every morning, I will pray before my feet hit the floor. As I lie there coming to full awakening, I let my thoughts run free a little bit and then turn those random ruminations into prayer.

Psalm 88:13  But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

Do I actually do this every day? No. Sometimes I forget because my thoughts take on a life of their own. Or any number of other factors may force me out of bed before I’m ready to face the day. But it is my goal to pray, and I manage to do it most mornings.

I love to let my thoughts unfold and offer that jumbled mess to the Lord. In that unguarded state of mind, it is truly who I am. He knows me better than I know myself, but it becomes a rededication of myself to Him. I seek His will for the new day.

Psalm 143:8  Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

And those people that pop into my thoughts, I figure, have come to mind for a reason. So I go ahead and lift them up in prayer. Even dreams can contribute to the content of the prayer.

Last night, I dreamed a childhood friend was the speaker at a conference I attended. We’ve had no contact in way over fifty years, but in the dream, we did. Why did I dream about a kid who lived across the street when I was in elementary school? I don’t know, but I took it as an opportunity to pray for him and his family.

When morning prayer begins my day, I feel more grounded. But it’s just the continuation of an ongoing conversation with God. In fact, I never say “amen” to close my personal prayers. It’s just a natural part of a real relationship with the Real Heavenly Father.

Mark 1:35  Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

And I figure if Jesus needed it, I need it much more.