Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly (Psalm 5:3, NLT).
I pray in the morning to increase my expectancy of what God can do.
Morning prayer, more than any other time of day, allows me to pray and then watch throughout the day for God to answer my prayers. I try to pray a simple and specific prayer each morning, then I have the entire day to look for the answer.
When God answers this prayer, my faith is increased for increasingly larger requests.
What is a “beginning the day” prayer request?
- God, I need to be able to buy a car today within my budget.
- Father, give me power when I preach the funeral message this afternoon.
- During this difficult conversation today, give me the words to speak the truth in love.
- Jesus, let me find one person to share your Good News today.
- When I go to the Ohio State University football game today, allow me to find a parking space!
Nothing is too small or simple for God.
He wants us to start our day with everyday prayers. Small answers lead to larger requests. A specific prayer in the morning allows God to build our faith.
A key to prayer is realizing that an ordinary request causes the extraordinary.
Listen to what God says in heaven when I pray in the morning…
[Myriads and myriads of angels singing and worshipping.]
Stop!
Pastor Grant just asked for money to print First Steps in Spanish. Let’s do this today! Not tomorrow – today.
Gabriel, head down to this businessman and nudge him to write a check. Then give this businessman the blessing of his life tomorrow. If the businessman isn’t listening or willing, then nudge another businessperson with the request and then give the blessing.
[Okay, now back to worship and sustaining the entire universe with your praise!]
You may conclude that I am crazy – What?! God stopping all the activity in heaven to listen to Pastor Grant’s prayers?
Or you can realize that my prayers ascend as incense before my Abba, Father. Every morning, He stops and listens to each of my prayers.
As parents, you do the same thing. You can be in a crowded room at a family gathering when your child or grandchild enters the room and tugs on your sleeve asking for a sippy cup filled with juice.
You stop and get the juice!
The Apostle Paul writes, “This is my God! The God who supplies all my needs” (Philippians 4:19, OGV). Paul writes this verse because I’m sure that his morning prayers were filled with many requests and then answers.
Something extraordinary happens when I pray my morning prayers!
The first lesson (and the only lesson) that I have learned about praying – my life is important to God. Morning prayers can be worldwide in scope, but mostly they will be about my day.
But when I witness an answer to my seemingly insignificant request, I know God adjusted His gaze from the universe to focus on my prayer.
I notice and my faith increases.
My future prayers for miracles and healing will stand on faith built through praying in the morning.
This is why I pray in the morning.
I hope you do too!
I’ve also noticed that because I answered my grandchildren with the sippy cup, they don’t hesitate now to ask for Young’s Ice Cream and new bicycles. I imagine cars will be their future requests!