Hennie Symington

“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning, O Lord I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalms 5:2-3

But I will sing of your strength in the morning. I will sing of your love, for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of strength. Psalm 59:16

I often recall my grandmother, a devout woman, never setting foot on the ground in the morning before saying her morning prayers. For modern believers, even kneeling next to your bed to pray, might be strange or old-fashioned. Yet, the Scripture often reminds us that men and women of God rose early to seek God’s will and to carry out his commands.

For Christians the breaking day should not be burdened with concerns for the day’s work, for at the threshold of the day stands the Lord who created it. As you begin the day that the Lord has made, prepare your heart for the Lord who made it.  In Genesis we read: "Early in the morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where He had stood before the Lord" (Genesis 19:27)while in Exodus 24:4b we read that Moses got up “early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Those of us who’ve made morning prayer a firm habit, know that there is something special about those quiet morning hours before the hustle and bustle of the day begins, when it is just my God and me. It is in these quiet moments of prayer and in spending time with his Word that we find strength for the day. You cannot pour out your heart to him and share with him your struggles, your sorrows, and your joys when you are not alone with God. You cannot find the strength you need for each trial if you do not spend some quiet moments alone with him. If David, the king of Israel, could spend some time with God in the morning, what stops us, God’s children, from doing the same?

Prayer: Lord, isn’t it sad that we begrudge you a few minutes in the morning to greet you and thank you for another day to enjoy after all you have given us in your great love and mercy. Amen