Recently, I made a breakfast casserole for my daughter’s birthday. As I followed the recipe, I thought I had shopped carefully for all the ingredients. However, I realized I was missing one ingredient: hash browns. 

I must clarify that when I checked my freezer for the ingredients, I mistook a bag of shoestring french fries for hash browns. So what did I do? I mashed the fries into hash browns. 

Thankfully, no one noticed, but I wondered if this substitution or missing ingredient changed the taste or texture. Everyone in my family seemed to enjoy it, but I knew it wasn’t the “OG.” (That’s slang for original gangster.)

So, where am I going with this example? 

I have committed to waking up early and starting my day by reading scriptures and praying. What happens when I leave out this important ingredient of my spiritual life? Usually, I notice a difference in my day. 

I realize it isn’t necessarily the day, but rather my mindset for handling whatever comes my way. Do I become more anxious and less patient? Am I reflecting on the Lord’s goodness? 

When I begin my day with prayer, it is easy to say no to being anxious and yes to reflecting on the Lord’s goodness. 

When I choose to substitute scripture reading and prayer with sleep or something else that takes my time, I don’t get the same result. 

This scripture even teaches us to have a place to pray: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Mathew 6:6)

This scripture even promises a bonus or reward. 

Changing the important ingredient of prayer or substituting it with something material is like changing my recipe. In a desperate measure, I may take a shortcut. Thank the Lord for His grace and mercy that ceases to be a shortcut or workaround. 

The scriptures and prayer are the perfect ingredients to the recipe called life.

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.