02/15/2026
How do we begin our day? Do we wake up when the alarm clock sounds, or do we get up of our own volition? What are the things that we consider to be our morning routine? Mornings are a very special time. The world is fresh, and indeed so are we; so how do we begin each new day? Do we begin by washing our face, showering, dressing, getting a cup of coffee, or making breakfast? Where in our routine have we allotted time for prayer? Where is our time of devotion? When do we greet God? Is it first, last... at all?
“Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.”
Psalms 5:1-3 ESV
Mornings are the time when we set the tone for our day. It is in the morning that our plans are laid, but more importantly, this is when our spiritual flame is rekindled. I will use a married couple as an example of the importance of morning prayer... what would happen if a man and his wife woke up in the morning, and went about their daily routine in silence? No “Good morning”, no “How did you sleep”, no “what are your plans for the day”, and no “I love you”, just each one of them doing their own thing, and ignoring the other. That sounds strange doesn’t it, and we would probably surmise that this marriage was on the rocks... and in trouble. Yet that is exactly how millions upon millions of people treat the God of the Universe each morning.
“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”
Psalms 90:14 ESV
Something as simple as a gentle touch, and a “good morning honey” begins a new day of marriage on good footing, so how do we greet the Lord? Mornings should begin with devotion and prayer; because this sets the direction for our entire day, and it engages God in everything we are about to do. I can’t tell you the number of people who tell me “I’m just not a morning person” or “I don’t have time in the morning for prayer!” Well, my response to those people is this... “maybe that is the reason you can’t function well in the morning”, and for those with no time for God I say “have you tried getting up a few minutes or so earlier?”
I have noticed that when a person is grumpy in the morning, snaps at people, or is generally in a bad mood, they usually excuse that behavior by saying they just aren’t a morning person. Well friends... that is a person who just doesn’t care enough about those around them to change their behavior! We choose how we are going to act, and we can get help from God in changing how we behave in the very same way that we ask Him for forgiveness, and the other things in our lives. We can ask God to help us begin our day happily... but, oh that’s right... you don’t pray in the morning because you are not a morning person! So, how can we go through our day as a follower of Jesus Christ when we haven’t met up with Him yet? Is it any wonder that we begin our days behaving like a heathen? ... try beginning each day in prayer!
“I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.
Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O Lord, according to your justice give me life.”
Psalms 119:147, 149 ESV
Our morning routines accommodate many things in our worldly life... we rise in time to get dressed, get the kids fed and off to school, get prepared for work, and to arrive on time at our place of business... and yet we claim there is no time for God? Oh, we console ourselves by saying things like “God loves me, and He knows that I love Him, and he realizes how busy I am”; all that is true, but He also knows that we have decided to place him behind all of these other things in our lives! Where do we stop running about in our earthly world long enough to meet with Him for a few minutes in His? At what point do we ask Him what His will is for us today, or to help us through the issues of life that we think are so important? Is it in a rushed minute before our next meeting, in a memorized prayer just before we eat a meal, “Bless this food Father”? Where do we squeeze God our creator into our daily lives? I recommend that we get up earlier and begin our day in prayer; it will smooth and straighten the rough roads that await us and bring God’s grace and joy into our day.
“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody! Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!”
Psalms 57:7-11 ESV
So far all our scripture this morning (if you are reading this in the morning) Have been from the Psalms because it is a glorious place to learn of godly relationship, prayer, and praise. It doesn’t just tell us what to do but gives examples of how to do it. We aren’t simply told to praise God, no, we hear the words of praise. Sometimes examples speak volumes... Are we one of those students who learns by hearing, or by doing?
When I was a boy my father woke me up for school each morning. He was an early riser and by the time he came to rouse me he had already been up for quite some time. I know this because long before he called me I could smell the coffee perking and the bacon frying, and when I walked into the kitchen the morning paper was open and spread out on the table. There was also one more thing... I could hear him merrily whistling as the time approached for him to come for me. I once asked him how he could be in such a good mood every single day, and his response was, “I’m not, I am convincing myself.”
My Dad is gone now, but those words still ring true in my ears. We are in charge of how we will begin our day. We choose whether we will speak to God or whether we will put that relationship on the back burner. We chose whether we will be civil to people, or be a jerk, and yes, all of these things, and more, are ours to decide. The wonderful thing about this mind that we have been given is that it rules our body. Sure, it won’t make a lame person walk, or a blind person see, but it allows us to control how we will deal with those things. Will I whistle this morning and be happy, or will I allow my worldly circumstances to dictate how I feel? Will I go into my day alone, or will I begin it in prayer and go out into the world having spoken with God, and walking in His presence with Jesus beside me?
So, scripture tells us, and then reinforces, that we should begin our day in prayer with God. The choice then becomes ours and we must decide whether we will actually do so. Excuses are a dime a dozen, and in the end they are empty, and mean nothing. We make the choice, and we make the time. So, let’s decide what our priorities are. Let’s test God by beginning our day asking Him to help our attitude and by bringing whistling and song into our lives... Let’s get up early a few mornings, and in the quiet of early dawn meet him in prayer and devotion, then let’s see if our day doesn’t change for the better, and our faith increase. Let’s take charge of how we begin our new day and then let the Lord and Jesus Christ help us with the rest of it. I believe we will find that our lives will be fuller, and our walk through it will become more Christ-like. Even though our day might bring us hardship and lament we will find God’s joy in it through our morning prayers...
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."”
Lamentations 3:21-24 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the morning hours and the fresh new beginnings that they bring to me. Thank you Lord for the precious time I spend with you while the mist is on the ground and the day is yet cool. Father, thank you for the morning hours and the fresh new beginnings that they bring me. Thank you Lord for the precious time I spend with you while the mist is on the ground, and the day is yet cool. Thank you for leading me through scripture and prayer into my coming day. Thank you for spiritually preparing me, and for clothing me in faith so that my loved ones, and those around me, will see you in all your glory, joy, and love when they look upon me. Help me Father to choose well, help me to place my relationship with you before all the earthly needs of the world outside my prayer closet door. Keep me Holy Father and protect me and my family today. Hold all evil at bay and keep us from temptation. Fill me with your Joy Father by teaching me to pray with something as simple as a happy whistle to accompanying me. Let your joy bubble up from within my soul as I sing your praises from bent knees and humble myself in your presence. Let the prayers of my spirit be a sweet aroma to you, and my words a melody in your ears. Hold me in your arms Father and then lead me through the remainder of my day as I walk in your will. You are my Lord, and in you I place my trust forevermore. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you who gives me the morning bread of life to sustain me, the blood of your Son Jesus to cleanse me, and your grace and joy to serve as the foundation for all my days. For this I honor and glorify you all the days of my life, and throughout eternity in your presence. Hallelujah!
“Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV
And we all shall praise Him and say AMEN!
Rich Forbes