I make a practice of meeting God in the morning. When my mind is clear, when the day has yet to begin, when the to-do list has yet to be done, when first things can be sure of coming first. When I turn to the Bible, first thing, the meaning of morning comes up again and again. Here are a few verses I like to read and pray.
1) O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you and watch (Psalm 5:3). God hears our voices at any time of day, but in the morning, we can hear our hearts’ yearning before the distractions of a busy day loom. Speak up. Plead your case. Then watch and wait with the morning.
2) Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his appearing is as sure as the dawn…(Hosea 6:3). The rising of the sun changes with the seasons. Sometimes, it seems to come too early (“Not yet, God,” I’m tempted to say); sometimes too late. But its appearance is as certain as the Lord’s. To look is to know God, as certain as the rising sun.
3) O God, you are my God I seek you, my soul thirst for you…as in a dry and weary land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1). As the Psalmist reminds us, our prayers often come when we are worried, full of doubts, at a loss, parched. We seek comfort, reassurance. We need to go back to the Source and drink up.
4) Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust…(Psalm 143:8). The bad news is always there, screaming out from my phone, all those scary headlines in the press. All the more reason to look for what I can trust, God’s good news of love eternal.
5) The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day (Proverbs 4:18). My prayer life is continually inspired by and supported by others, the righteous, whose commitment is unswerving. I might be physically alone in my room when praying but I’m never alone spiritually. Many others are right there with me.
6) In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle…(Ecclesiastes 11:6). Mornings are my most creative hours. Time to start a new project, time to write an article—like this one. Time to call on the Spirit, planting a new seed. The gift of a new day can never be wasted.
7) Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:6). Haven’t we all had nights where we were kept awake or woke up filled with anxiety, worries, or sorrow? We call upon God then, giving up our tears, letting them go. Making us ready to discover the joy that comes with the morning. Always there.
