Morning Prayer

My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.   
 Psalm 5:3 [KJV]

Prayer is a very private, personal communication between a person and the Creator of the universe.  When I was a child, prayer was a very formal process:  one had to kneel, fold your hands, close your eyes, and refer to God only as “Thee” or “Thou.”   My mother held the record for years of longest possible prayers, until I got married and experienced my mother-in-law’s prayers in Spanish.  They made Mom’s prayers look like a benediction.

I love this verse because of the reference to God listening to me in the morning.  I am a morning walker, trying to get in at least 2.5 miles before going to work.  This is my favorite time to pray—looking up into the heavens, imagining God’s face looking directly back at mine.  By contrast, when Alan goes fishing, he and his friends pray in the evening.  The leadership for that prayer time rotates each day.  Ben’s favorite time of prayer is while walking the halls of MCV – passing patient rooms and no doubt praying for those inside.

We all try to be “instant” in prayer when a compelling reason or need surfaces.

God is only too happy to listen to us whenever we pray, but I believe this verse indicates that He loves to hear from us at the very beginning of the morning. When we pray to Him before the day’s hustle and bustle bursts forth, we have the privilege of a little quiet time with the Almighty.

Give ear to my prayer, O Lord. Consider my meditation.

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God.

For unto Thee will I pray – my voice shalt Thou hear in the morning.

O Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.