Don’t Leave Your Bed Before You Do This

In 1897 an almost-septuagenarian widow stationed in Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia, penned these words in her diary:

“I have had a precious sleep. Thank the Lord for this blessing. I awoke at half past two. . . . I offered up praise and thanksgiving to God in my bed before rising. . . . I arose and dressed and then bowed before God to commit the keeping of my soul to Him who is merciful and full of love and tender compassion. His lovingkindness faileth not.”[i]

On the other hand, since at least the sixteenth century, practicing Jews have incorporated the Modeh ani—the “I Give Thanks” prayer—into their daily routine. They recite it just after waking up, before even leaving their beds. Its words ring eerily similar to the words in the diary of Ellen G. White: “I give thanks before you, King living and eternal”—it says in Hebrew—“for You have returned within me my soul with compassion; great is Your faithfulness.”[ii]

Regardless of the space in time, the location, or the language, such words as those (or similar prayers) highlight a few principles we’d probably do well to remember. Some of these principles are as follows:

1. Waking up every morning is a miracle of God’s grace. While asleep, we are, for all intents and purposes, as good as dead. Waking to a new day is a renewal of God’s care for us. He gives us life every morning so we can be a light, serve Him, and be His witnesses for another day. Let’s never take our existence for granted.

2. How we start the day even before we leave our beds sets the tone for the rest of the day. Starting the day worried, discouraged, or even resentful is not the same as beginning with a word of thanksgiving and praise. Being intentional about thanksgiving certainly warms God’s heart and sets the tone for a day of victories with Him even in the midst of trials and challenges.

3. An early expression of gratitude connects our past with our present and future. God has always been faithful, and His faithfulness and mercy are renewed every morning as we wake up and acknowledge Him. Moreover, His faithfulness is great and abundant.

Be it in written or in oral form, it’s our privilege to jumpstart every day with an attitude of gratitude. The means is not as important as the fact that we do it.[iii] Silence is not an option, especially when we remember how the Lord has acted in the past and His promises for the future: “The promises of God stood out clear and distinct, as though placed in letters of gold. Why, oh why are they not appreciated? Why is not the heart filled with thanksgiving and praise? Why are your tongues so silent? Where are the words that express thanksgiving and praise to God for all His benefits? The talent of speech is misappropriated. Let the talent of choice words be given to God in thanksgiving and rejoicing, and this will glorify His name.”[iv]

A daily attitude of gratitude makes for a week full of thankfulness. And weeks bathed in thankfulness make for months and then years focused on personal, family, or corporative reasons to thank and praise Him.

If you haven’t done it before, or if you only do it sporadically, there’s no better moment to start expressing gratitude to the “King living and eternal” than today. So repeat after me: “I give thanks before You for . . . ” Then fill in the blanks with your own words. And bask in the encouraging glow of His abundant faithfulness.

[i] Ellen G. White manuscript 176, 1897, in Letters and Manuscripts, vol. 12, p. 440.

[ii] There are slight variations between some translations, such as “I am thankful,” or “abundant is Your faithfulness.”

[iii] A song is another option, according to Ellen G. White: “Let praise and thanksgiving be expressed in song. When tempted, instead of giving utterance to our feelings, let us by faith lift up a song of thanksgiving to God” (The Ministry of Healing [Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1905], p. 254).

[iv] Ellen G. White, in Gospel Herald, Aug. 1, 1898.