Because 50 Day 4
Scripture Reading: Psalm 5:3
3In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.
Today’s Prayer:
Speak now Lord, your son/daughter is listening.
Going Deeper:
One of our goals is to equip you to study the biblical texts on your own. One tip for studying the Bible is look for words or phrases that are repeated. Words or phrases that are repeated often carry within them greater emphasis. What word or phrase is repeated in this verse? What do you think the psalmist is communicating by repeating the phrase “in the morning”? What’s the first thing that you do each day? What routines do you have at the start of each day in your life? For the psalmist, it was an absolute essential to start each day in prayer.
The phrase “lay my requests before you” alludes to the patterns of the priests in preparing the morning sacrifices each morning. At the beginning of the day, the priest would go in and arrange pieces of woods and the bread in a particular fashion. It was an intentional, thoughtful act. The 19th century theologian Albert Barnes writes of prayer, “it should engage the profound thought of the soul.” Examine your prayer life. Are you intentional and thoughtful in prayer or do you find yourself defaulting into rote prayer? What can you do to become more intentional in your prayer life?
Finally, the psalmist reminds us that prayer is not just us talking to God, but also giving God space to speak back to us. Prayer is designed to be a dialogue, not just a one-sided conversation. The expectant waiting of the psalmist serves as an excellent example for us that God not only hears our prayers, but will respond in His time and in His will. The prophet Isaiah writes, “Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desires of our hearts” (Isaiah 26:8). Where are you waiting on God right now? What do you expect that He will do? Are you listening for His response?