You might think mornings aren’t that important, but historically, it was in the morning that declarations were often signed. For example, the U.S. Declaration of Independence, in 1776, was finalized during the morning session of Congress. The Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, was signed on the morning of June 28, 1919.
Mornings are prime time when the brain is sharpest, and focus is at its peak… at least for some of us! Morning decisions might be slower, but they are more accurate. Inc.com, a weekly online American magazine that helps entrepreneurs and businesses grow, states that powerful people often make their decisions only in the morning.
What does the Bible say about morning? The Hebrew word for morning is boker, and it appears over 200 times. So, if we snooze, we’ll lose, because the Bible also reminds us that important events happen in the morning. While we might not all be early risers, maybe we can learn a few lessons from those who are.
Let’s use Job as our first example. This righteous man offered sacrifices on the altar for his children. When? Early in the morning. Why? To cover their actions in case they sinned, an example of a father’s great discipline and responsibility to his children. Just think of how many times your mother or father woke up early to prepare breakfast for you, lay out your clothes, and pray for you.
Let’s consider Abraham as he set out early in the morning for that very difficult journey of bringing his son Isaac as a sacrifice before God. You might think he would want to delay the start… maybe leave in the afternoon… or wait until evening… but it was early morning, and there was no procrastination when it came to obedience. How are we when it comes to procrastinating about obedience and not carrying out what we are called to?
Some prefer to sleep through challenges and dream of better solutions, but there is no better way out of our difficulties and into solutions than facing God first thing. By coming to Him first, it shows our full reliance on the Lord. We then have the rest of the day to wait and watch for His response.
The Bible tells us that David prayed three times a day, and in Psalm 5:3, we see that morning time is emphasized: “In the morning Lord, You hear my voice, in the morning I direct my prayer to You …”. We notice the word “morning” (boker) appears twice.
Additionally, David says, “In the morning I direct my prayer to you.” What might that mean? Sometimes, when we wake up, our minds are filled with so much—appointments, responsibilities, relationships, and personal emotions from the night before. While coffee might help clear up some morning confusion, we discover a more powerful solution in the Hebrew word “direct”.
David says, “I direct (Hebrew arak) my prayer to you”. The word arak means to set in order, to arrange, and it implies a systematic and purposeful approach.
The word ‘arak’ is used in Leviticus 1:7 to describe the way the wood was arranged on the altar of sacrifice. It wasn’t just about tossing all the wood into the fire and keeping it burning. With God, there is order even in how the wood is laid. Think about Abraham. The same word is used to show how he arranged the wood on the altar where his son was to be sacrificed. It was carefully ordered. What kind of mental and spiritual strength did Abraham need to stay focused and maintain that order during such a stressful moment, even in laying out the wood? Having control and a purposeful order in our thoughts and actions can help us face emotions that might otherwise overwhelm us.
And with David, there was structure and order in how he directed his prayers to God, which added to their appeal, artistry, and beauty. Do we have a similar structure in our prayers to God in the morning?
David first addresses God, using powerful imagery like ‘my Rock’ and ‘my Fortress.’ He then openly shares his personal feelings, honestly revealing his fears and struggles. Next, he calls on God’s faithfulness and confesses his sins. He seeks guidance from the Lord and expresses renewed trust and confidence in God. Psalm 56:3-4 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid.”
We can surely see the importance of putting order into our lives, starting with a morning prayer time. Order your thoughts of the day, order your purposes in the morning… Have a clear picture of what you want the day to bring.
Just as important as contracts and constitutions were signed in the morning, we too should confirm our side of the covenantal relationship with God, morning by morning, b’boker b’boker.
Then we look to the last part of David’s petition in Psalm 5:3 which says, “and wait expectantly”. When our heart, mind, soul, and body are ordered and directed to God, we can then wait expectantly to see how He will respond.
“In the morning Lord, You hear my voice, in the morning I direct my prayer to You and wait expectantly.” Psalm 5:3