Morning Psalms

October 3, 2019

Five a.m. isn’t my favorite time of day unless my eyes are still closed and my body prone. My ears aren’t good enough to hear the alarm, so when it goes off, Linda pokes me and I groggily roll over and put my feet on the floor. It’s Thursday; at 6:00 a.m. I join four or five other men to pray for an hour. Really—all we do for an hour is pray. 

My friend Harry started this tradition three years ago. Our time together begins with the reading of a psalm which becomes the launching pad for our prayers. We end with the Lord’s Prayer and the singing of a hymn. Though not my favorite time of day, and though there are times I’d rather turn over and go back to sleep, missing this time together would be too much of a loss for me to skip. Today’s psalm was 144 which starts out, “Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle—my lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge.” These are a strange combination of words for us—“war, battle, and...lovingkindness?” They don’t seem to belong together. We forget that we are in a battle that has raged ever since the serpent questioned Eve, “Has God really said...?” Left to myself, I sink in the quicksand of my own opinions, feelings, biases. I am influenced by what others say, the opinions of people I don’t even know, most of whom live in rebellion against God, not having come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Only when I take shelter in the Rock of Christ and in the fortress of his Word am I able to fight the spiritual battles that rage unseen all around me. Only in Christ do I find my lovingkindness. This prayer continues with the plea for integrity and truth for the sake of our children and peace in the land. 

Praying through the Psalms widens my prayer vocabulary. And when we pray together, one man’s response to the psalm often informs and and expands the scope of my prayer vision. By the time the sun has risen upon us, we exit the prayer room ready to face the day with faith, courage, and wisdom. Our souls have awakened to the unseen spiritual realities that swirl around us, and we are equipped to fight the good fight and live the good life that was bought for us at the price of Christ’s blood. It was a good start to the day that set my feet on solid ground, corrected my often wandering heart, and opened my eyes to the path Christ laid before me. Truly there is much for which to give thanks tonight.