At Daybreak

"From daybreak you hear my voice, from dawn I am in your presence watching for you." - Psalm 5:4

When I was little, I used to pray only at night before I went to bed. Now that my walk with Jesus has matured, I've found that the most important and powerful prayer is the one done in the morning. This is called the morning offering, when we awake and dedicate the first moments of the day to the Lord, offering Him our lives, the lives of those we love, and all of our intentions for the day. This is the moment when you put all of your worries in God's hands and also plead for His protection throughout the course of the day.

Reading through the Psalms and through the writings of the prophets like Isaiah, you will find that it is early in the morning in which these great servants of God heard His voice. And in the morning, when all is calm and the routine of the day hasn't disturbed your mind yet, you will also find God to converse with. Most people I know have also told me that their best prayer opportunities are in the morning, and the Church's official prayer for sanctifying time, The Liturgy of the Hours, holds its longest prayer in the morning as well. I'm not saying you need to wake up at 5am to pray, but if you want to see a real difference in your prayer life, flip your schedule - don't leave praying for before you go to bed and the day is already over. Wake up 15 minutes earlier and make that you and God time. Start your day in the Lord's hands so that His blessings and protection may follow you and your loved ones all day long.

Today's Prayer:
Lord, call out to my heart in the morning. Let Your love wake my soul from sleep so that I can raise up my heart and unite it to You in prayer. Teach me how to listen to You in the early hours and therefore walk with you throughout the day. In Your Name we pray, amen.