Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.
What gets you going in the morning?
Psalm 5 is a prayer with four movements to wake us up and get the day started.
The first movement directs our attention to God:
Listen to my words, Lord,
consider my lament.
Hear my cry for help,
my king and my God,
for to you I pray (v 1-2).
The psalmists tells God to listen. Is he trying to get God’s attention? Or . . . maybe he’s preparing himself to listen to God. Opening your heart to God, speaking your mind, and telling him your troubles are the first steps in morning prayer.
The next movement I see in Psalm 5 is confidence that God does listen. He may be silent and invisible, but the psalmist says,
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice,
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly (v 3).
People have many reasons for praying.
Some pray to express themselves.
Some to impress others.
For some, it’s a habit; others pray out of need.
But the psalmist prays because he knows someone is listening. My king and my God, he says, you hear me, and I wait expectantly for your answer. That’s a better way to start the day than surfing the net, checking the news, or lamenting yesterday’s hockey scores.
The third movement in Psalm 5 is character development. The psalmist asks, “What kind of person are you becoming? Will you make progress today?”
First, he describes failed character development. God is not pleased with wickedness, he does not welcome evil, he does not encourage arrogance, he hates wrongdoing, destroys liars, and detests the bloodthirsty and deceitful. (v 4-6).
Some list! God knows the internet. He’s read the blogs and seen the videos filled with arrogance, wrongdoing, lies, and violence. God is displeased with these creators. Don’t let them be your mentors or your motivation for springing out of bed.
The psalm continues with a list of character traits God approves:
I, by your great love,
come into your house;
in reverence I bow down
toward your holy temple.
Lead me in your righteousness
because of my enemies,
Make your way straight before me (v 7-8).
God’s website gives life hacks for reverence, holiness, righteousness, and straight paths that can start our morning and shape our day.
Let’s pray.
O Lord, with the psalmist I pray,
Listen to what I say,
Hear my cry for help (v 1-2).
And somehow I find confidence that you do listen.
In the morning you hear my voice.
In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly (v 3).
I survey my world filled with people who are wicked, arrogant, unbelieving, and bloodthirsty. Help me not to learn their tricks or follow their example.
I survey the world you build in and around me . . . a place of holiness, reverence, faithfulness, and love.
Help me to see the house you are building, to become the kind of person who can live there. Take my crooked paths and make them straight.
Amen.
I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.
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