O, Lord, In the Morning
I was checking messages recently, and I saw a friend’s video post where he was sitting outside by the fire pit, having a cup of coffee – in the dark. The caption read, “Good Tuesday morning friends.” I sent a message and asked him, “What time were you outside enjoying the warm fire? He replied, “4 a.m.” He is a man of God, so just assumed that he, like King David, was praying, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you.” (Psalm 5:3)
Where I live, I can faithfully predict the sunrise to grace the eastern skies around 7 a.m. I rise early and see the sun’s rays as I gulp down a few swigs of water. Should I go back to my warm blankets and sleep some more? I want to. But no, no, no, let’s get this day moving on – a quiet, peaceful morning with Jesus is best. I know a few things from Scripture and personal experience that are true: “The Lord’s lovingkindness is new every morning, and his faithfulness is great.” It is good to meet with Jesus before the cares and distractions of the world. I imagine the morning sun kissing the earth’s surface with welcome heat. I compare the wonder of God’s tender love with that of the sun. The Son of God understands that this humble, mortal being is rising to a new day. When the morning brain fog starts to lift, and I am conscious enough to recognize God’s presence, I imagine his warm, affectionate, approving smile welcoming me to this new day. “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24).
The Bible contains numerous passages that highlight the importance of praying in the morning: I am truly motivated to do the same – like my friend does, and encouraging passages like these:
“O God, you are my God, early will I seek you.” (Psalm 63:1)
“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love…” (Psalm 90:14)
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
For you and me, we can greatly benefit from early morning prayers because they are quiet and less distracting. Let us encourage one another to seek God early, and we can be confident that he will hear – and as the Apostle Paul says, “The Lord is near…present your requests to God”. (Phil. 4:5)