August 14, 2013

Psalms 5:3 — My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

I’m starting to write this at 30,000 feet, crossing over from Florida to Georgia. The idea was given to me as we drove to the airport this morning.

Are you a “morning person”? I am not. Over many years, with a lot of miles traveled, I have disciplined myself to hit the ground running, but I have never enjoyed it. So it was a real surprise to me, some years ago, to find myself persuaded that I should have a morning “quiet time”. It was a surprise, again when Myra (who might forgive me if I say she is even less of a morning person than I am …) and I found ourselves agreeing that we should share a morning devotional time before I had my quiet time! So now we find ourselves, most days, setting the alarm clock for 5:30 — I know some of you are sneering and saying “slugabeds”! — and taking a measured start to the day.
You know, I’m not a better person. I’m not nicer, or cleverer, or more Godly. But I am better prepared. I have had a chance to share my heart with God and seek His direction. I’m really not very good at it. My thoughts are not well organized at that time of day, and I’m not a great prayer warrior. I allow whatever bubbles up to bubble up, and trust the Holy Spirit to take over. He usually does. And when I’ve finished, most often it seems that I can move on with the day, instead of the day rushing on me and overwhelming me.

I’m finishing this at the end of a long day. It seems to have gone well. The Lord has allowed me and the people with me to manage some tricky challenges. I am reminded of two things.
The first is that in my small way, in this one way at least I am following the Master. In several places, Mark 1:35 for one, we find the example — “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”
The second thought is that focused prayer should close the day as well as open it. That’s another truth found in many places in the Bible. For example, Paul writes to Timothy “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;” Prayer at night, be it ever so brief, is a chance to cast the burdens if the day own The Lord.
In another place Paul writes “Pray constantly.” So we should, but I have found that starting and ending the day focused is a sure way to experience a little of the peace of God.