Hiking and Prayer Disciplines
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The following article has been excerpted from Called to the Wild by Christopher Lawrence.
It is good to praise the Lord…proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.
– Psalm 92:1-2
Many great hiking trails begin and end in the same place: loops, lollipops or even out-and-backs. These trails return from whence they came, making them popular and also efficient for returning to a car or campsite.
Psalm 92 also calls us to begin and end our days in the same place: God’s presence. And like hiking, doing so isn’t just convenient, it’s wise.
No matter what time of day, it is pleasing and right to pray. Yet bookending our days with prayer offers us a special blessing.
And what is prayer? Prayer is simply talking to God—no need for religious words but an honest conversation that can include praising, thanking and asking.
Each day, we should “pray continually,” as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Yet capturing these two distinct points in our day proves impactful, as it was for Levite priests (1 Chronicles 23:30). And for good reason.
Our heart is freshest in the morning, like a sponge ready to be filled. Rather than absorbing news or social media, we should go directly to God. This discipline sets a critical tone for our day, like taking the first few steps on a trail.
In the evening, we feel the tiredness in our body—like a hiker returning from the trail—and fatigue makes us feel emotion more acutely. Before falling asleep, we can thank God for the day’s triumphs, pray for others and ourselves, “cast all your anxiety upon him (1 Peter 5:7).”
The pastor Charles Spurgeon often championed prayer. “If any of you should ask me for an epitome of the Christian religion,” he said, “I should say that it is in one word—prayer.”
The title of his famous devotional reminds of the discipline: Morning and Evening.
Today is a great day to begin practicing this loop of prayer. Happy trails.
Question
What habit of prayer have you found most helpful or motivating? What would you like to try?
Prayer
Lord, help me grow in prayer, as spending time with you is the most life-giving use of my finite time. Please make this discipline a delight and not a duty in my life. Amen.
Biblical Reflections on Faith, Perseverance, and Surrender
Called to the Wild is a 40-day journey filled with thrilling adventure stories and poignant Biblical meditations, through which outdoor guide and Cru campus minister, Chris Lawrence, helps readers overcome fear and self-doubt by learning to follow Jesus as their trustworthy Guide through life’s every adventure.
