Prayer as a Morning Cup of Coffee

Hallow App morning coffee and contemplation

Why is prayer like coffee?

My morning coffee is one of my favorite daily rituals. There is nothing like the smell of freshly ground coffee to invigorate your day. To me, coffee and prayer go hand-in-hand. My prayer ritual is actually quite similar to my coffee ritual. Coffee is not a fast process in our house; my husband and I don’t even own a traditional or Keurig coffee maker. It is slow, intentional, and involves all of the senses, just like prayer.

Each morning, one of us wakes up and grinds fresh coffee beans. Our current grind is Guadalupe Roastery, a sustainable roaster focused on fair wages for farmers. Choosing the right coffee is like choosing the right prayer. Some moments I’m in the mood for a light, flavorful roast, but others I prefer a darker roast that I mix with almond milk. With prayer, sometimes I want something more reflective like a Christian Meditation or Lectio Divina, but other times, I desire to go deeper with a Rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Once the beans are ready, we heat the water and prepare the filter and vessel. Before I begin in prayer, I also need to prepare my vessel. Taking a few deep breaths, turning my attention towards God, thanking Him for the time we are able to spend together each day, are all ways that I can be ready to meet with Him.

After the water is heated, the coffee brewing begins. My husband and I brew coffee with a Chemex, which is a slow and beautiful process. The first step of the process is called the bloom, a chemical reaction that releases gases from the beans. From the bloom, starts the extraction where a tiny bean becomes a delicious liquid. That process is a bit like prayer. Starting a prayer journey begins with a bloom that blossoms over time into something extraordinary. Every prayer you pray is another pour into the vessel that is your soul, filling you up until you overflow with God’s love.

The first sip of a morning coffee is objectively one of the greatest things (next to prayer of course), especially after a long night with a baby. That initial injection of caffeine is like a spark that makes you want to say, “I LIVE”. Those first few moments with God (with that first sip of coffee) are also awe-inspiring. Feelings of pure gratitude, a fullness of grace, knowledge of eternal love are the flavors that wake you up and get you going for the day. Spending time with God in prayer allows you to start your day focused on all of the blessings in your life and invites God to walk with you throughout the remaining hours.

Choosing a prayer can feel like choosing a coffee: where do you even start?! At Hallow, we provide suggested prayers based on how you prefer to talk to God in that particular moment. If you are new to prayer, Hallow can be your Keurig, making it easy for you to pray. If you want to go deeper, Hallow can be your Chemex, extracting out new depth you’ve never experienced. Whatever your flavor of prayer, Hallow has it. Some of my favorite morning prayers are the Daily Gospel, the Examen, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and the Daily Meditation. 

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