Iggert Hateshuva - Chpter 10 - The Daily Cycle

The Alter Rebbe outlines a daily schedule which consists of bedtime accounting for the whole day which then leads to the proper seriousness and decorum when praying in the morning after waking up. In short, in order to appear for prayer with the proper respect for the encounter, one has to take account of their status prior.

There's a well known plot where boy meets girl and they plan to get married and a short time prior to the marriage the girl meets boy number two who is actually "Mr. Right" and then the climax of the story is when the girl realizes "all of a sudden" that she must make a choice between the two commitments. Similarly, in life we can really only be truly committed to one concentration or viewpoint either the world takes precedence or G-d takes precedence but they can't both be "riding shotgun".

The whole prayer experience is structured as a gradual coming closer to the Creator, the praise intensifies from one stage to the next climaxing with the ultimate commitment when we say in Shema we will love Him with all our hearts, souls, etc. But if we haven't cleared our relationship to the world prior to that declaration, then despite our sincerity and passion at the moment, we will still find ourselves after davening standing at the altar/chuppa with our worldly assumptions.

Only when a person first clears their ties to the world at bedtime - taking a personal accounting of their day and reaching the conclusion that their attachment to physical pleasures was not satisfying - then they can honestly approach the meeting with G-d at the morning prayer with an open mind and with a receptive heart to following up one's commitment in Shema, with deeds for the rest of the day that reflect that commitment. In short, we can't be surprised that our prayer does not lead to the kind of powerful illumination of Divine expression in our speech and deeds that the Alter Rebbe promises, without first severing the commitment to being a worldy physical person. In order to take off, we have to cut the mooring lines - and that is done simply by expressing our dissatisfaction with where our actions and where our thoughts and speech, have gotten us so far in life. Any why have they failed to move us forward? Because we tried to do it alone, to succeed without the Divine Presence guiding us every step of the way, and such a progression can and does only lead to disappointment. And that disappointment fuels our renewed commitment to try the Divine path and renew our vows to G-d earnestly in the next prayer experience.