MORNING DEVOTIONALS

My earliest memories include morning family devotionals at the breakfast table.

Our family started out using the monthly Upper Room Devotional booklet with a special devotional written for each day. There was a scripture, followed by a Thought For The Day, followed by a story written by a different person each day, then a prayer. After the prayer we would sing together. Usually we sang the Doxology.

Every person was assigned a special part of this small, family worship service. I actually remember being eager to learn to read so I could read the scripture aloud someday or better yet, read the story.

I remember grumbling as a teenager that we shared this time as a family every morning regardless of sometime pressing need to get out of the house and go to school or activities or even church. Whoever heard of a devotional on Sunday? After all we're going to be worshiping practically all day anyway? I believe I actually said that out loud ONCE.

We shared this time even when we had company. Oh dear, my friends that spent the night were subjected to this embarrassing tradition. Even friends visiting from college were expected to participate in the morning devotional.

My parents changed to the yearly Upper Room Discipline for their daily devotionals and they would order each of us our own books for our families for the new year. Before they gave us our copy, mother would write all the family birthdays at the top of their birth date page. These persons always got an honorable mention in that morning's prayer. Names were also added to the prayer each morning of persons who were hurting or sick and in need of prayer. They would stay on mom and dad's prayer list until the various situations improved.

I give the Upper Room Discipline to my children each year and write in the family birth dates before sending them on. My book contains the names of persons needing special prayer as well at the birthdays.

When the daily devotional reading is done and the prayer has been said, I automatically hear my father's booming voice lead out with the Doxology:

"Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."

(My precious papa passed away ten years ago this month. Both of my parents are gone but I still sense their daily prayer.)