You overslept. The baby's sick. The covers are hugging too closely. We all have impediments to praying in the morning. Yet how we rise sets the tone and direction of the day. Well begun is the morning won.

Ideally, we should wake with a prayer on our lips and thoughts raised to God. We've all heard stories of monks and nuns leaping from bed in an act of prostration and prayer. But this is heroism that the Apostles themselves were not up to at the appointed hour. As our Lord said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Creatures of comfort, we are prone to turn over, at the ring of the alarm, and utter not a prayer but the words: “Five more minutes.”

The key to prayer in the morning is to be practical, flexible yet persistent, and to know thyself. If your mind is foggy as an English bog before the first cup of coffee, don't attempt a rosary. Settle for a simple aspiration as you shuffle to the kitchen: “Lord Jesus, I give you this day.” God hears the intention of the heart. Save more formal prayers — Morning Offering, the daily meditation — till you've showered.

If you're a morning person, seize the quiet moments while others sleep. Have a prayer book on the night table with holy cards slipped into favorite pages. Choose uplifting prayers of praise and thanksgiving that acknowledge God's love and protection, and express your dependence on his goodness and guidance. Personally speaking, I begin the Divine Praises as my feet hit the floor and conclude with an Act of Contrition, placing my sinfulness before God and asking forgiveness.

For Internet lovers, a number of prayer resources are online. Try the site of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (www.nccbuscc.org) and click on “daily readings” for a wealth of scriptural meditations and the day's Gospel reading.

Time is key. How much you have in the morning frames the depth and extent of your prayer. Rising earlier is laudable, especially as a sacrifice during Lent, but much can be accomplished in little time if you have what you need at hand, including images of Jesus and Mary to focus the mind. Be fervent but flexible.

Chesterton's adage “A thing worth doing is worth doing badly” should not be your constant guide, but it does highlight our need at times to settle for less than perfection. Keep in mind, though, that you are before Christ, who deserves the devotion of our lives.

Commit to at least ten minutes, if you're just starting out. Posture is important. Kneeling is ideal. If you sit, pick a chair that is not too comfortable, lest sleep creep back. Begin with a prepared text such as the day's Gospel or one of the Psalms, but remember that prayer is not reading. It is a dialogue, a gift of God to help us draw closer to Him. (For more prayer tips, see the Register's “How to be a Catholic: Part III” at www.ncregister.com.)

You may be in no mood to recognize it as you slip from the covers, but you are preparing for battle. The day awaits with its various temptations. Prayer is your first defense. If you don't see your morning routine in this light, perhaps you have not entered the battle and are slipping toward sloth. The surest way to become a foot soldier of the Lord is to order your morning toward Him. Obstacles will arise. As you strive to overcome them, you grow stronger, and get to know yourself better.

Have a good morning.

New Yorker Brian Caulfield now wakes in his new home in West Haven, Connecticut.