English Radio Program

20 August 2008

MORNING PRAYER

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3

C.S. Lewis, a professor at Cambridge University , usually had his morning tea, then headed for the classroom or study. He also discovered what you have probably learned--that it is better to pray for God's guidance and help at the beginning of the day than to look back at the end of the day and beg for forgiveness. Said Lewis, “The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, strong, quieter life come flowing in.”

For centuries wise men and women have sought God's help at the beginning of the day, taking time for prayer and meditation, asking God for wisdom. You think clearly early in the morning before you are bombarded by ringing telephones, honking horns and the blurring of details—all of which you are convinced must be done today.

There is nothing to compare with the freshness of a new day, the cool morning, the crispness of the air. It's true everywhere, but especially true in desolate, dry areas. When David hid from Saul, he often spent time in the desolate area near the Jordan . In Psalm 63 he spoke of his early morning encounters with God. Here are his words: “A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah . O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1, NKJV).

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German patriot and theologian who was finally executed by the Third Reich, also knew the importance of beginning his day with God. He wrote, “O God, early in the morning do I cry unto you. Help me to pray and to think only of you. I cannot pray alone. In me there is darkness. But with you there is light.”

In my personal life, I've found that the best time to seek the Lord is upon rising. This is my time, and when, for whatever reason, I miss that, I feel shortchanged and somewhat inadequate, praying quick prayers during the day—like a firefighter with a squirt gun.

I must warn you, however, there are some enemies, some challenges of early morning prayer. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

Enemy #1: Drowsiness. That's why I usually fill my coffee mug and open my Bible about the same time. If you get drowsy when you pray, then walk and pray. Or pray audibly. Take an old notebook and write your prayers.

Enemy #2: Wandering thoughts. Frankly, that's the one which I fight the most. Oswald Smith, the great missionary statesman, had the same problem. He once wrote, “I used to have all kinds of thoughts, plans and programs come in upon me when I was praying, and I found myself thinking. And how did I get rid of these wandering thoughts? By praying aloud, by putting my petitions into words. I always pray aloud,” he said, “and have done so for the last forty years of my life.” Though it's not impossible, it's difficult to let your thoughts stray when you are carrying on a conversation with someone. The same thing is true when you pray audibly.

Enemy #3: Interruptions. That's why taking time for prayer at the beginning of your day will beat the ringing of the telephone or the challenge of unscheduled conversations, or the little voice that says, “Mommy, can I have….?” Try the morning watch.

Resource reading: Psalm 5.