20 Feb Devotional Thought – Morning Prayers
“My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.” Psalm 5:3
Why does David say that “in the morning” he will “look up”? Is it said in earnest expectation? Does he mean to say that he lifts his eyes in hopes of an answer from Heaven? I don’t think so. I think that what David is saying isn’t that he looks up with expectation, but rather in confidence. He lifts his eyes with the assurance of a man who daily walks with God. He’s saying that when he prays he can do so with an unrestrained confidence and an unashamed countenance. He can look into the perfectly pure face of God because he has nothing of which to be ashamed. He may not receive what he requests, but he doesn’t have to be ashamed for asking.
How is it that a man can have such confidence in the presence of God? It is because he offers his prayers, “in the morning.” He’s not worn out by the pressing concerns of the day because he offers his prayers before the heat and weight of the day falls on him. He’s not consumed with the common cares of life. He’s not crying out for personal gain. He prays from a heart that is free from fear and unhindered with the wants of the world. His prayers mount up on wings of praise and soar to Heaven on a song. They fly by instinct, not by instruction. They’re drawn by attraction, not by compulsion. The prayers of the Psalmist rise before the first drop of rain falls. Thus, I learn from the Psalmist that it is only when I offer the morning’s of my life that I can truly say, “I will direct my prayers to You.”
The Bible says that “God is love,” and as such would naturally rejoice in offerings that are given by love. There is no sacrifice like those given early in the morning. He loves it most because it sacrifices the least. It is more dear to His heart because it comes most from mine. He doesn’t desire sacrifice, but rather a song. He hears the cry of the weary, but it is the prayer of praise that is most precious to Him. Evening prayers may evoke His pity, but it is the prayers of the morning that most stir His joy.
Many voices will no doubt cry out to Him at dusk, but may mine be the one heard at dawn. May I offer my unhindered heart and my undimmed life. May I come to Him, not out of fear, but always for fellowship. For, if my voice is heard in the morning, it is then that I can lift my head to Heaven with joy.
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