Before the Meetings: A Morning Prayer

Start by recognizing who Jesus is in the midst of your morning. You might thank him that he is sovereign—that no meeting, conversation, or decision today falls outside his knowledge or care. As the Psalmist writes, "The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever" (Psalm 29:10, ESV). Before any agenda gets set, any email gets answered, any difficult conversation happens, Jesus is already King of what's coming. You might also pray that he is wise—wiser than any plan you'll hear, any problem you'll solve, any relationship you'll navigate in these meetings. Tell him you see his wisdom and you want to lean into it today.

Be honest about what you're bringing to these meetings that isn't his. You might confess frustration—maybe you're tired of meetings, tired of the same conversations, tired of people not understanding. You might confess fear: fear of being judged, fear of saying the wrong thing, fear that something important will be missed or that you'll mess up. Or perhaps you're carrying pride—a desire to be heard, to win, to prove yourself right. Name what's true about your heart right now. Jesus doesn't ask you to hide it. As he says in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (ESV). He invites you to set it down with him rather than carry it into the room.

Now turn toward gratitude. Thank Jesus for the specific people you'll be meeting with—even if those relationships are complicated. Thank him for giving you a place to show up, a voice to use, and a role to play. You might thank him for growth you've seen in yourself or in your work, or for lessons you've learned in past meetings that prepared you for today. Thank him for his constancy: "His compassion never fails. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23, ESV). Thank him that whatever happens in these meetings, his faithfulness toward you doesn't depend on how they go.

Now ask for what you need. Ask Jesus for clarity—that you'll hear well, that confusion will lift where it matters. Ask for kindness in your words and listening in your ears. You might ask for courage to speak truth gently, or for humility to learn something you didn't expect to learn. Ask him for peace: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you" (John 14:27, ESV). Ask that even in a crowded or tense meeting, you'll carry a quiet sense that you belong to him and that he's with you. If there's a specific outcome or decision on your heart, name it simply and leave it with him. Then ask him to guide not just your words, but your presence—the way you show up, the energy you bring, the attention you give.