A Morning with Our Lord

O Lord, I have heard a good word inviting me to look away to Thee and be satisfied. My heart longs to respond, but sin has clouded my vision till I see Thee but dimly. Be pleased to cleanse me in Thine own precious blood, and make me inwardly pure, so that I may with unveiled eyes gaze upon Thee all the days of my earthy pilgrimage—A.W. Tozer

Such is the cry of our hearts to know God intimately through prayer. We long for satisfaction found only in him. We seek a clarified focus to behold him in all his glory. Enjoy a morning doing just that, my friend.

Psalm 9 (NLV)

Early Morning Renewal

Scripture:  ¹ I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
      I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
 ² I will be filled with joy because of you.
      I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

Ponder:  Ask yourself:  Have I thanked the Father for his abundant goodness to me? What steals joy from my life? Is praise a part of my response when things go badly?

Prayer:  “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act” (Psalm 37:7). Tell the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit how much you love them. Reflect where you’d be had they not rescued you? Is there any sin that is clogging your ability to really enter into worship this morning? Confess. Let praise flow freely to the Lord.

Mid Morning Refreshment

Scripture:  ³ My enemies retreated;
      they staggered and died when you appeared.
 ⁴ For you have judged in my favor;
      from your throne you have judged with fairness.
 ⁵ You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
      you have erased their names forever.
 ⁶ The enemy is finished, in endless ruins;
      the cities you uprooted are now forgotten.

Ponder:  Offer praise for the power and justice of God. Have you recently meditated on the cross and the grand victory Jesus’ death and resurrection attained for you? Are you putting on the full armor of God to make a stand against the wiles of the devil?

Prayer:  With great joy, affirm the fact that “the enemy is finished.” Consider any lies you may believe, and confess them. Praise him:  “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head” (Psalm 3:3).

Late Morning Replenishment

Scripture:  ⁷ But the Lord reigns forever,
      executing judgment from his throne.
 ⁸ He will judge the world with justice
      and rule the nations with fairness.
 ⁹ The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,
      a refuge in times of trouble.
 ¹⁰ Those who know your name trust in you,
      for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.

 ¹¹ Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem.
      Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
 ¹² For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless.
      He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.

 ¹³ Lord, have mercy on me.
      See how my enemies torment me.
      Snatch me back from the jaws of death.
 ¹⁴ Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates,
      so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.

Ponder:  Are you in trouble today? Picture God as your refuge, and run to him. Write down all the names of God you can think of.

Prayer:  Sing a song of praise to God. Affirm your need for God’s mercy. Tell him where you need it administered right now. Thank him for the unforgettable ways he’s lavished love and grace on you. Be silent before him. He is holy, holy, holy. “Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor” (Psalm 96:9).

A Final Response

Scripture:  ¹⁵ The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.
      Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.
 ¹⁶ The Lord is known for his justice.
      The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.
                         Quiet Interlude

 ¹⁷ The wicked will go down to the grave.
      This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
 ¹⁸ But the needy will not be ignored forever;
      the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.

 ¹⁹ Arise, O Lord!
      Do not let mere mortals defy you!
      Judge the nations!
 ²⁰ Make them tremble in fear, O Lord.
      Let the nations know they are merely human.
                         Interlude

Ponder:  Ask yourself:  Am I aware that a final judgment will really happen? Am I praying earnestly and consistently for friends, family members, and even strangers I pass on the street for their salvation?

Prayer:  Pray for the poor. Pray for Haiti. So much of our world lives in poverty. Pray sweeping prayers for the nations. Pray for the place in the world that God has put on your heart:  India? Yemen? Ghana? Slip to your knees or fall prostrate before your King. Thank him for the privilege of actually speaking to him about everything. Thank him that your prayers reach his ears—that he is a God who bends to hear our faintest cry.