They say that each person has a spiritual pathway, not that there is something ritualistic behind it. A “spiritual pathway” is something that allows a Christian to connect more deeply with God. Some Christians find that reading and reflecting on books about theology is their spiritual pathway on which they can commune with God. Others have worship songs as their spiritual pathway. It could also serve others to have nature as their spiritual pathway; they can connect with God and be more intimate with Him as they enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. That does not mean you cannot connect with God if you are not on your preferred spiritual pathway. In Christ, regardless of whether you are listening to worship songs, reading books, serving others, enjoying the view of the sunset, etc., you can freely commune with God. It also does not change the truth that you should still read the Scriptures, pray, and connect with fellow believers regardless of your preference.
It is not surprising that some people prefer to commune with God while watching a sunrise/sunset, looking at the starry night sky, or sitting in a chair as they look into the beautiful blue horizon of the seas. The beauty of nature points us toward its beautiful and magnificent Creator, Who is God. If the beautiful nature that we enjoy looking at takes our breath away, all the more should its Creator—the beauty and magnificence of nature pale in comparison. That is why it is not surprising when people want to read their Bibles, pray, and even have fellowship in places where nature is appreciated because this points them to God. Seeing nature makes us worship God for His wisdom, splendor, glory, and magnificence.
Genesis 1:31
And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
How to Pray During Sunrise
Psalm 50:2
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
How to Pray During Sunrise
Psalm 104:1
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
How to Pray During Sunrise
Why pray during sunrise?
To some, being with nature, where you can connect well with God, enables you to maximize time spent in solitude with Him, rather than in a noisy park where you can barely concentrate as you read your Bible. It is all the more reason for you to pray during sunrise. If you wake up early to witness the sun’s rising, make it even more meaningful by communing with God and spending solitude with God. Go to a quiet and lonely place as you look at the rising sun. You can even read the Bible while it is still somewhat dark so that as the sun rises, you can pray to God while appreciating the beauty of the sun. As you pray to God, you can tell Him whatever you want to tell Him. To Him you can pour out your heart, worries, anxieties, problems, plans you’re hoping to complete, dreams of the things you desire, etc.
1 Peter 5:6-7
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
How to Pray During Sunrise
It is not an accident that we humans appreciate the beauty of nature. Whenever we see a captivating scene, such as a beautiful mountain range or the night sky with a glorious full moon, we appreciate this beauty because we humans are designed to long for and appreciate splendor. However, we should not ultimately find fulfillment in nature and other things or people—our desire to look for and appreciate beauty should first be manifest in God alone. That is, that captivating sunrise that we want to see in the mornings is just a fraction of the ultimate beauty you can find only in God.
Psalm 27:4
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
How to Pray During Sunrise
Another important reason we should pray during sunrise when trying to commune with God is that prayer is a means of grace. By this, we mean that praying is one of the methods God has instituted by which we can receive grace. For example, if we want to grow in Christlikeness, we will need God’s grace for that. But how can we grow in Christlikeness if we don’t pray to God and ask Him for this grace and the Holy Spirit to cause us to bear fruit? Prayer is just one of the means of grace—reading our Bibles and having fellowship with other believers in the faith also bring us blessings.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
How to Pray During Sunrise
What prayer do you pray at sunrise?
One of the things you can and should pray as the new day starts is a prayer of thanksgiving toward God. No matter what circumstance you may find yourself in right now, you should always have a grateful heart toward God. One of the things that you should always be grateful to God for every day is how He turned your heart of stone into a heart of flesh so that you could repent and commit to following Christ. Being alive throughout all the years of your life is also another thing to be thankful for, as well as the fact that you are watching the sunrise at all, which means you were able to rise up from your bed, even though some people cannot. Thank God as the new day unfolds over us. It is only fitting to thank Him.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
The Bible tells us that even nature (including the sunrise whose beauty we appreciate) worships God. If nature worships the Creator of the Universe, so should we. Whenever we pray to God, it is not only prayers of thanksgiving and prayers regarding our concerns that we should pray, but also prayers of worship and adoration toward God. If we truly know Who God is – holy and just, full of splendor and majesty for which the earth is only His footstool – we shall worship, praise, adore, revere, and respect Him. Even the sunrise that we find to be captivating should lead us to worship God because it shows how magnificent a Creator He is.
Isaiah 55:12
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Luke 19:40
And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
Given that you are just about to start your day, you can also pray for the upcoming day that you are about to have. As the sun rises, witnessing another day is evidence of God’s mercy in your life. True enough, God’s mercies are new every morning, His faithfulness is great, and you can pray for that same mercy for the day you are about to have. Praying for God’s mercy for your upcoming day could be praying for safety and protection as you travel to work or school, wisdom to be excellent in your work or studies, a productive day, and many other requests. Everything that you pray to God out of your dependence on Him is all because of His mercy in your life.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Lastly, you can pray for the heart. Since we are still being sanctified, our hearts should always be submitted and inclined toward Christ. That is something that you can always pray for to God every day as the day begins. You can pray to God for the grace to always have a pure and clean heart and that the meditation of your heart shall always be good and pleasing in His sight. That means praying for continual grace to guard your heart and for God to always be enthroned there.
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
Proverbs 4:23
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
How do you pray to the sunrise?
The principles above can guide you as you pray to God during the sunrise. Remember to thank God, worship and adore Him, pray for His mercies, and pray for your heart. Of course, as you commune with God, you can pour out what you want to pour out to Him. Here is an example of applying those principles into a prayer that you can pray while witnessing the sunrise:
Heavenly Father, You are the Creator of the Universe. The beauty of nature and the sun speaks of Your glory and majesty. Thank You for everything that You have blessed me with. Thank You for sustaining my family and me all the years of our lives and for allowing us to be here still—alive and witnessing the beauty of Your creation. Thank You for all the mercies you have shown us and for Your faithfulness. We worship and adore You, Father, for You deserve all of our adoration, respect, worship, praise, and reverence.
The beauty of Your creation only points to the ultimate beauty of the One in Whom we find eternal satisfaction, which is You. As I start my day today, I pray for Your mercies. Help me be excellent in my work/studies and give me the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that I need. Keep my family and me safe from any physical and spiritual harm. Give me the grace to always guard my heart and turn my feet away from evil. May You always be enthroned in my heart and may the meditation of my heart always be pleasing in Your sight. Thank You, because no matter what circumstances I may encounter, my peace is found in Christ. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Whether you are watching the sunrise with your friends as you go hiking or you’re where you live and can witness the sunrise every day, it is always good to make time to go to a place where you can enjoy nature and spend solitude with God. If we have the time to go somewhere with our friends, surely we can make time to spend in solitude with God and have an intimate moment with Him as we watch the sunrise.