A Leaf from our Church’s Prayer Guide—September 3, 2020

 
Psalm 5
 
Give ear to my words, O Lord;
    consider my groaning.
² Give attention to the sound of my cry,
    my King and my God,
    for to you do I pray.
³ O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
⁴ For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
    evil may not dwell with you.
⁵ The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
    you hate all evildoers.
⁶ You destroy those who speak lies;
    the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
⁷ But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
    will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
    in the fear of you.
⁸ Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies;
    make your way straight before me.
⁹ For there is no truth in their mouth;
    their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
    they flatter with their tongue.
¹⁰ Make them bear their guilt, O God;
    let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
    for they have rebelled against you.
¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may exult in you.
¹² For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
    you cover him with favor as with a shield.
 
 
For our church:
 
Pray that the general practice of our church family would be to seek the Lord in the morning that the whole course of our day might be filled with greater awareness and enjoyment of his presence.
 
Our teaching moment:
 
Mornings are made for prayer. Job thought so. He interceded for his children in the morning. (Job 1:5) Moses thought so. He sought satisfaction from God in the morning. (Ps. 90:14) Daniel thought so. He knelt throughout the day in prayer and of course, this included the morning hours. (Daniel 6:10) In this psalm, David declares, “O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice…” (v.3) And David’s morning prayers were varied and wonderful. They include intense joy, complaining and moaning, singing, and a pleading for God’s guidance. (Psalm 30:5; 55:17; 59:16; 143:8) David sought the Lord early in the morning because he wanted his life to stand in sharp contrast to the wicked who surrounded him and were in rebellion against God. (Ps. 5:5-10) The obedience which David wanted to characterize his noontime and evening hours began with the submission of his morning to the Lord. This week follow David’s lead and place your life into God’s hands even before you place your feet on the floor.
 
 
A prayer from the past:
 
Good Lord, I thank you for my life, health, wealth, food, clothing, peace, prosperity, and plenty. Thank you for preserving me this night from all perils and dangers of body and soul, and for bringing me safe to the beginning of this day.
 
As you have now awakened my body from sleep, so I beg you, awaken my soul from sin and from worldly security. As you have caused the light of day to shine in my physical eyes, so cause the light of your word and Holy Spirit to illuminate my heart.
 
Give me grace, as one of your children of light, to walk in holy obedience before your face this day. Help me to keep the faith and a clear conscience toward you, and toward all, in all my thoughts, words, and dealings.
 
And so, good Lord, bless my work today, that I may give you glory and strive for the good of others, adding the comfort of my own soul and conscience in that day when I will make my final account to you. Amen.
 
[Lewis Bayly (1575-1631), cited in Elmer, Piercing Heaven, 253.]