A Call to Prayer

Morning Devotions

In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expection.
Psalm 5:3

Spiritual Exercise - Morning Devotions
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Concluding your prayer experience

I first began morning devotions about 10 years ago. And, it's been quite a journey.

I was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, and I loved praying. The prayers I said were the ones that I had memorised as a child. Later on in my adult years, I met a group of women at Church, who started me on a journey that has made my life something that I would not have dreamed possible.

Of course, all this did not happen overnight. It has been both a frustrating and rewarding experience. It has demanded both discipline and openness. My prayer time has changed, and so have I. It has been a learning experience for me, and a teaching one for the Lord. Because in all that I have experienced, one thing stands out: He is the Teacher, He is the Guide. He has all the answers. Which is a good thing, because I had a lot of questions along the way.

In the beginning, I think the hardest part was making the decision to begin. After that, I needed to decide what time I would start, how long I would spend in prayer, where I would pray, and finally, what I would pray.

Who I would pray for was not a problem. There was myself, my husband, our children, our grandchildren, our extended families, friends, acquaintances, neighbours, colleagues, the world - the list was endless.

Once I decided to start this new thing in my life, things seemed to get easier. Like I said, for me, the hardest part was making the decision. Since I was brought up Catholic, discipline didn't seem to be a problem - quite the opposite in fact. My problem was letting myself relax, so that the Lord could guide me. In the beginning, my prayer time was pretty structured, and so in this new relationship with the Lord, I did most of the talking in the first couple of years.

First, I would read through Ephesians 6, verses 10 to 20 , putting on the armour of God, and praying these verses in the first person. I still do this today. Next I would pray for myself and for all of my loved ones. Then I would pray for others. In the beginning, I regularly used Daily Bread, a devotional booklet. After a while, I felt that I needed a change, so I tried Day by Day, another devotional booklet.

Then a woman at our Church encouraged me to start journaling. That was in 1993. Phyllis suggested that I use loose leafs and keep them in a binder. I did this for a long time, but I must say that I found the binder cumbersome. For a while, I even used my computer for journaling, and I would print out the pages, and then put them in my binder. Finally, in January of 1996, I began to use these small journals with spiral binding and lovely book covers, and I am now on my 40th. The size is just right, they're portable, and I enjoy picking out a new one when it's time. I have also received a few of them as gifts. I guess word gets around.

The time and place for my Morning Prayer has changed over the years. When I first started, I was working for World Vision in Laval. My husband Jack used to drive me to work, and we would leave the house by 5:30 in the morning. In order to be ready to leave, and to have enough time to do my morning devotions, I would prepare my lunch and iron my clothes the night before. Then I would set my alarm for 3:45am.

The following morning, I would get up, take the fastest shower in history, blow dry my hair, get dressed, pack my briefcase, and settle in for my prayer time. My husband thought I was nuts, and told me a few times that he thought I was going a little overboard. He was also concerned that I wasn't getting enough sleep.

As I would be tip-toeing around, trying not to disturb him, and to get all this stuff done in the morning, I began to wonder and to have doubts about all this myself. But if there is one thing that I am, it is persevering.

My work hours had been arranged around Jack's, so that we could travel in together, and I was usually at work by 5:45am. And so I began to do my prayer time at work. In the long run, that worked out better for both of us. I got to sleep a little longer in the morning - and so did Jack.

Later, the office in Laval was closed, and I worked at home for a year. That was glorious! I now had the leisure of staying in my own home for prayer, and I got into the habit of using a small room at the front of the house. This has not changed. Jack has fixed this little room up for me, and I am so comfortable there. I feel that the Lord prepares the room for me, and is waiting for me, even as I step into it in the morning.

Spending an hour in prayer at the beginning was quite a challenge. Oddly enough, today it hardly seems long enough. When Jesus was in the Garden at Gethsemane, he found the disciples asleep three times after he had asked them to pray with him. He asked them, "Could you not keep watch for one hour?" During my morning devotions, the Lord found me asleep many times. He was so patient with me.

I had gotten into a routine of "things to do" during my prayer time, and my biggest dilemma at that time, was wondering if what I was doing, was okay with the Lord. Sometimes I really felt that I was just fumbling and stumbling along. But I was like a dog with a bone. I was not giving up.

Then one day, someone gave me a little booklet called The Miracle Hour. When I read the sections on the little prayer wheel in that booklet, I was elated. I was basically doing most of the things mentioned there. This little booklet was a confirmation for me that I was headed in the right direction.

Another thing that I learned from this booklet, was to be flexible, open to the Lord, and ready to listen. As exact as this little booklet was, it made me balk at the rigidity of it. For me, a new journey with the Lord was about to begin. And it was around this time that I began journaling.

* * *

'Be still and know that I am Lord'.

It is so hard for us to sit in silence. Our minds are so busy. Our thoughts race in the silence. It is no easy task. But then, nothing worthwhile comes easy. It takes time to learn how to walk, it takes time to learn how to run, it takes time to learn how to soar. And this is what happens when we enter into that personal and intimate relationship with the Lord.

It's very simple: If I feel a thought come to me, I don't run with it. I let God know what I am thinking or feeling, and I tell Him that I am not going to try to figure it out on my own, that I am going to leave it with Him, and trust that He will give me a clearer picture of what He wants to say to me. Then I thank the Lord, and I return to the silence. When another thought comes to me, I do the same thing. And for confirmation, I always ask the Lord to lead me into His Word. It is literally a two-way conversation with the Lord. And I have learned that He has a lot more to say that I do.

And when He speaks to me, I write these things down in my journal. Sometimes I write as He is speaking to me, sometimes after. It depends on what I feel the Lord is leading me to do.

I try to do a little journaling every morning. We think that we will remember the experience, or the insight, or the understanding, that we have received during that time, or even the concerns that come to us, but quite often we don't. Our lives are just so busy.

When my prayer time is quiet now - when I don't hear the Lord's Voice, or feel His Presence - I don't worry about it as much as I used to. I used to berate myself for not doing things right, for not concentrating enough, for not listening. Now I just tell myself that God is quite capable of making Himself heard. I also realise that - as with Elijah - He sometimes comes in a gentle whisper. So all I do now is try to pay attention.

I recount my experience to you in this way, because I want you to know that my morning prayer time as it is today, did not begin like this, and it is still not yet all that the Lord would have it be. It won't be until I am with Him in Eternity.

In the beginning, I continually needed "training wheels" in the form of spiritual helps and aids like Day by Day, Daily Bread, and the Miracle Hour. Today, the structure of my prayer time is not as rigid as it used to be. But even though I basically know how to ride my bike, as my husband will tell you, I still have the tendency to wobble, and even fall off sometimes. But, I just pick myself up and get going again. And it is the same with my morning prayer life. I know the Lord loves me and is patient with me - more patient that I am with myself sometimes.

One thing that I do more today than I did at the beginning is: Be still. I think that that is the most challenging aspect of Morning Prayer. But the reward is so great.

And I quote Vance Havner: 'Men whom God has blest with His Spirit are men who craved a deeper fellowship with God and found it through prevailing prayer. There is a waiting before God that sends man back to his task with the hand of God upon him in such a fashion that waters part before him. It is not that God puts a premium on fastings, night-long prayers, tears, and austerities of the flesh - but He does reward a burning desire for His very best.'

Imagine getting His very best. And He does that so that we can become our very best, because that brings Glory to Him.

On the surface, I look to be a quiet person with an ordinary life, nothing special, but I tell you, my life is now power-filled. I no longer feel that I am at the mercy of the world, I feel that my life is in control, because my life is in the hands of the Lord, Who is in control.

The sacrifice of a hungry heart to the Lord is the beginning of something great. And He doesn't just fill you - your cup overflows. And I have discovered that His very best is Himself. He fills me with Himself. Now that's Good News!

Imagine a world filled with power-filled people. Imagine a church filled with power-filled people. Imagine yourself filled to overflowing with God's own Holy Spirit through His Son Jesus Christ. Just imagine! Now that's Good News!

My prayer time is not perfect. Far from it. And I am not perfect. Far from it. The only One Who is Perfect in all of this is God. And He is perfecting me. And while He does this, I get a taste of heaven, because that is what prayer with God is, talking to the Eternal One, talking to Heaven, talking to Perfection, talking to the One Who made me, and died for me, and Who lives for me. Now that's Good News!

And all we have to do is take the first step.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Worthwhile Reading

Booklets for daily prayer:

Day by Day
Daily Bread
Every Day with Jesus
The Miracle Hour, Linda Schubert, Telephone/Fax: (408) 734-8663

Books I have read along the way:

The Helper, Catherine Marshall
Beyond Ourselves, Catherine Marshall
Something More, Catherine Marshall
To Live Again, Catherine Marshall, McGraw-Hill Book Company
Light in My Darkest Night, Catherine Marshall, Revell Publishing House
Mr. Jones, Meet The Master, edited by Catherine Marshall, Revell Publishing House

Let Prayer Change Your Life, Becky Tirabassi, Thomas Nelson Publishers

Nine O'Clock in the Morning, Dennis Bennett, Plainfield, N.J.:Logos
The Holy Spirit and You, Dennis & Rita Bennett, Bridge Publishing, Inc.

The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges, NavPress Publishing Group

Victory Over the Darkness, Neil Anderson, Regal Books

Morning Devotions - Scripture References:

Finally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Ephesians 6:10-20

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Matthew 26:40-41

Be still and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10a

Those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.
1John 4:1a

The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
1Kings 19:11-13

But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
Psalm 131:2

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been make perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:10-14

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:8

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Spiritual Exercise - MORNING DEVOTIONS

Below you will find a series of daily reflections for one week.

After reading the reflection, take the time to reflect on the situations, the persons, the joys, and the griefs in your life, as they come to you. Let the Lord work in you to bring you freshness, insight, and healing. Although you may not feel His Presence, He is with you, and will bring you peace.

Sit quietly with Jesus, thanking Him for being with you, and as thoughts and feeling come to you, give them to Him, for it is written, 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.'
Matthew 11:28

When you feel led, write down the things that are coming to you. This is the beginning of your own Spiritual Journal.

If this is your first experience in Morning Prayer, try to spend about twenty minutes sitting quietly, and then move down to the section called 'Concluding your prayer experience'.

Enjoy your time with the Lord...

Reflection for Day 1:
Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4

Additional Reading: 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

Reflection:
In times of trial, it is difficult for us to understand these words. How can there be joy in grief? How can there be joy in persecution? How can there be joy in pain? It is written "the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10. And so the joy that Paul speaks of is not the transient and temporal happiness, the folly, of this fragile earth, but the Strength of the Lord. As travellers in this strife-riddled world, we turn to Him, and He enables us to carry on, to endure, to act, and to rise above our situations in victory. There is Glory in nail-scarred hands!

Prayer:
O Lord, my heart feels that it is breaking at times. I get caught up in the turmoil of my thoughts, my pain, and my grief, until it seems that there is no room for thought of You. I know You are my Saviour. I know You are my Strength. Come to me, Lord Jesus. Rescue me from my enemies of strife, grief, and pain. I rejoice, Lord, that I can turn to You. I give You all the Glory for all You accomplish in me and around me. I love You, Lord. Be my strength, for I can do nothing without You. You alone are the Lord. Bring me to victory, Lord! Help me to rise above and to taste the Glory in my suffering, in my nail-scarred hands!
Concluding your prayer experience...

Reflection for Day 2:
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
Philippians 3:7

Additional Reading: Matthew 13:44-46

Reflection:
Are we to consider all the things of the world - our worldly possessions, our intellects, our very state of health - "loss"?...to give up all those things that seem to sustain us in this world? The answer is a resounding "Yes!". Impossible, we say. Yes, it is...if we try to do it backwards. We cannot drop all the worldly treasures we are already holding in our hands, leave it all behind, to go and look for the hidden treasure. Rather, we find the hidden treasure first, which is Jesus Christ. And the treasure is of such value, that there is no longer room - or need - to hold on to all the things of this world.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I praise and thank you for all the blessings in my life. Lord, I want these blessings to be just what they are, blessings, and not the focal point, the purpose, the mainstay of my life. I desire to hold all these things loosely in my hands. So loosely, Lord, that, should one of these things slip through my fingers, I would reach for you first in my loss. If my hands were holding tightly to these things, Jesus, and grasping eagerly for them, I would not have the freedom to reach out for you. for my hands would be full. Only you can give me that freedom, Lord. I ask you to reach out to me and to touch me, so that I want to let go of all these things, and to take hold of your precious, nail-scarred hands.
Concluding your prayer experience...

Reflection for Day 3:
For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Philippians 2:13

Additional Reading: Jeremiah 29:11-13

Reflection:
Jeremiah speaks of seeking God with all our heart. When Jesus taught that we have life through him, many disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" and turned away from him. John 6:60, 66. His good purpose is for the good of all creation, his people - you and me. The Lord says He "has plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." How often do we turn to Him and seek His Will in our daily decisions in life? Howoften do we avoid seeking His Will because, like these disciples, with lack of vision, we are not ready to hear what He has to say. How often do we seek him with all our hearts so that we can receive the powerful promise of this blessing?

Prayer:
Lord, it often seems that I turn to you only in times of real distress. but somehow I always know that you are there, and that you hear when I cry out to you for help in my pain and anguish. I want to turn to turn to you in all things, Lord. When my day is hectic, when I am bored, when I am happy, when I am sad, in every choice and decision, in every moment of time, I want your answers - not mine. Mine are so limited, and you know my whole life, from the moment of my creation to my eternal life with you. Yours is the only answer I want. Yours is the only counsel. Help me to put my limited will aside, and to seek yours with all my heart, so that I can receive this blessing, and accept your promise of hope and a future.
Concluding your prayer experience...

Reflection for Day 4:
...but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Philippians 3:12b

Additional Reading: Romans 5:3-5

Reflection:
In this world, we suffer many hardships, some more than others, but we all endure them nevertheless. And as we look back, many times we say, "Why me?", and "Where was God during all of this?", and "Why did He not help me more during that time?" The answer is not easy - but it is simple. Jesus Christ himself, during his years of ministry on earth, cried out to the Father during difficult times. And he was heard because of his reverent submission, and raised to eternal life. Hebrews 5:7-9. Jesus asked why, was obedient, was raised in Glory. So shall we be. Praise God!

Prayer:
Lord God, in Your unconditional love for me, you became a man, and accepted to suffer death at the hand of sinful man. What love and sacrifice that you, Lord Jesus, innocent and blameless, should take my sins to yourself. Help me to see, in tribulations as well as in blessings, your steadfast love for me. Help me to see beyond my limited vision in this world, the prize for which you call me heavenward. Thank you, Jesus, that here and now, I can have a taste of the life to come through the workings of the Holy Spirit in my life. Thank you, Lord, that I too, because of your amazing love and precious sacrifice on the Cross, shall be made perfect and have eternal life.
Concluding your prayer experience...