Gleanings from Orthodox Christian Authors and the Holy Fathers

prayer_upon_awakening

Upon awakening, first give praise to God and, having asked His intercession, begin your most important work, that is, to pray in the heart, purely and without distraction... We are commanded to bring the first and best as offering to God, that is our first thought which we must direct straight to our Lord Jesus Christ in a pure prayer of the heart... Monks Callistus and Ignatius (Directions to Hesychasts no. 26, Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart; Faber and Faber pg. 197)