“Warm that cup for you?”
September 29, 2013
Every morning I start the day with a cup of coffee. I can’t even remember a time in my life when I didn’t drink coffee. I wasn’t one of those people who started needing the caffeine rush to study for final exams. By the time I could read and way before I was being tested in school, my coffee addiction was firmly in place. My daddy taught me to drink coffee when I was a little girl. I would sit by his chair at the “coffee table” and he would pour coffee out of his cup into a small bowl and give it to me. Because that’s the way I learned, I take my cup o’ joe just like he did – black with a little bit of sugar to sweeten the taste. No cream. No milk. No flavorings that sound like candy bars. Just coffee.
Every morning I also do something that borders on the ridiculous. Before I pour my coffee, I turn on the faucet and let the water get really hot and then I warm up my favorite coffee mug. Warm mug – hot coffee. Then I go sit and meet with God.
It may seem silly to warm a mug that’s going to hold hot coffee. Maybe it is, but lately I have been trying a different technique in my quiet hour that also seems to be warming up my heart. If I take that much care with my cup of coffee, wouldn’t I want to enter the presence of God warm and ready to be filled with His Spirit?
See, my problem is simple. I am too easily distracted. If I’m not careful, I will let my early morning time with the Lord become fragmented and less than it should be. I had to learn to FOCUS. Now, before I read or pray I take a few minutes to warm up with these thoughts:
F – FORSAKE
“Lord, during our time this morning, let me FORSAKE any distractions that might steal my attention and devotion from you.” (Psalm 27:4)
O – OMNIPRESENT
“Lord, you are right here with me – listening. Let me be ever aware of Your PRESENCE, not just now but throughout this day.” (Jeremiah 3:33)
C – CONFESS
“Lord, I CONFESS my sins before you now and ask you to cleanse me to hear Your voice and be willing to obey it.” (1 John 1:9)
U – UNDERSTANDING
“Lord, give me UNDERSTANDING of Your Word and Your will and don’t let me get caught up in trying UNDERSTAND Your Ways for you are sovereign and have plans I cannot comprehend in my limited scope of reason.” (Romans 12:1-2 and Ecclesiastes 3:11)
S – SEEK
“Lord, now I SEEK Your glory. Let nothing I say or do today take away from the glory you deserve.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Like my prayer life, this list is a work in progress. I’ve been adding verses and quotes to deepen the process and I’ve found this little exercise has made a tremendous difference in my quiet time with the Lord. It takes a few extra minutes but so does warming my cup. Perhaps you should give it a try and see if your coffee tastes better and the Word tastes sweeter. (ct)
“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)