Ask yourself this question, "What does it take to make a relationship work?" One of the most obvious answers is and will always be communication. We can all testify that if we go without talking to a significant other for a period of time, some unpleasant feelings will start to develop. Depending on the situation, there may be feelings of frustration, worry, bitterness, confusion and insecurity.

Here's my point: If we know that these issues result from lack of communication, then why do we fail to prioritize communication in our relationships with God? See, I proposed this question in relation to our human relationships, but it applies the same, if not more, to our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Starting our day off on the right foot seems impossible because, let's be honest, waking up is not easy. Our beds are soft and the floor is hard. Our beds are warm and we're freezing cold as soon as we try to take off the covers. So I get it, waking up is hard, but I've learned that waking up and not praying is harder. Waking up and not praying is like waking up beside your spouse and not saying a word. How much more does God want to hear from us each morning?

No, it's not the magic fix to make you have a great day. However, for me, it's been what gives me strength to start the day. It's helped me see things in a new light. It's guided me in building a friendship with Jesus himself.

The way I see it, Jesus himself sets the "wake, pray, slay" example. Mark 1:35 reads

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."

Three verses later, we can see that Jesus is purpose driven and that ties into the "wake, pray, slay" motto. Four verses later in Mark 1:39, the scripture reads, "So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons."

God not only reminds us to "wake pray slay" by Jesus' example, but also by David's example in Psalm 5:3, which reads

"In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly."

He hears us at any time, but to me, praying in the morning holds a great importance because it sets the mood for the day. Rather than lacking communication which produces feelings such as frustration, starting your day with prayer produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Now the question remains: What to pray?

Of course, there's no set way, but the way I have found that is really effective for me is through a written prayer from scripture. My reasoning in this is that I'm honestly too tired most mornings to form my own thoughts. Also, I've been told multiple times that there is power in praying scripture. In trying it for myself, I've found this to be the truth.

So here's how it goes down:

1. Get a mini notebook and something to write with.

2. Pull out your "Bible" and search for a prayer in scripture.

I've found that the Psalms contains the bulk of prayers in the "Bible." There are prayers for help (ch. 40, 54, 86), prayers for troubled times (ch. 28, 57, 130), prayers for protection (ch, 5, 43,140), prayers for God to be near (ch. 42, 63) and so many more. There are plenty of prayers of thanksgiving and praises as well. Being so well known, Psalm 23 is a great way to get started. The "Bible" has a prayer for any situation.

Besides searching the Psalms, you could also pray the Lord's Prayer. This is found in Matthew 5:9-13 or Luke 11:2-4.

3. Write out the prayer in your notebook and have it by your bed so it's ready to go each morning.

It may be difficult to remember at first, but once the habit is built, you'll never want to go back. I personally pray one prayer over the course of a month, but a weekly prayer may prove to be even better! I've found that praying in repetition ultimately aids me in memorizing the scripture. The cool thing about prayer is that God takes us as we are even if it's tired, squinty eyed and curled up in the covers.

My prayer is that those reading this would give this a shot. You won't regret it. God doesn't disappoint.