Morning Prayer
Scripture Reading — Psalm 5
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
At one place in his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis suggests that each morning starts the same way for everyone. When we wake up, thoughts about what we hope to accomplish that day flood our mind. Lewis writes that our plans for the day resemble wild animals that rush toward us.
I don’t know if this describes how a day typically begins for you. But Lewis goes on to describe something that everyone should experience each morning. He encourages us to pay attention to another reality: the deeper life we have in Jesus Christ. Instead of fretting over the concerns of the new day, we should allow God’s peace to flow into us.
That sounds like a wonderful description of morning prayer. It’s what Psalm 5 describes as being a two-way conversation between us and God. We speak, and we listen. We pray, and we wait. We act, and we receive. We begin the day with God.
Morning prayer sets the tone for the day that follows. If the morning begins with worry, that will only increase as the day moves along. But if we start out by enjoying time with God and receiving strength from God, we will more likely remain in his peace as the day continues. There’s no better way to begin the day than with prayer.
Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this day. Help me to begin each day with you in prayer. As I pray to you, thank you for giving me the strength and peace I need. In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Peter Hoytema
Peter Hoytema has been a pastor for nearly 30 years and has served congregations in Ontario and New Jersey. He is currently the pastor of a congregation in Strathroy, Ontario. He is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Grace, are the parents of four adult children.
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