Taking Captive Our Mornings in Prayer

Psalm 3:1; Psalm 5:1-3; Psalm 119:145-149; Psalm 143:8; Mark 1:35

ETS: The Bible provided multiple examples of God’s servants praying in the morning time.

ESS: God’s servants should pray in the morning.

OSS: [MO: Devotional] {SO: I want the hearers to commit to taking their mornings captive by surrendering their day to God through initial prayer time in the morning.}

PQ: Why should we pray in the morning?

UW: Reasons

Introduction: Shawn Achor and Arianna Huffington recently did a research study finding that “just three minutes of negative news in the morning makes you 27% more likely to report having a bad day 6-8 hours later.” (Source: YouVersion Plan, New Morning Mercies, Day 1). Many excuses can be given to not study your Bible and pray first thing in the morning. A few excuses are: “I’m not a morning person”; “I struggle to get up in time for work, much less in time to study before work.”; “Mornings are too busy and chaotic, I don’t think straight enough to focus on a Bible study or prayer.” However, to these excuses, I would suggest that the following reasons trump every one of them, and as the research proves, what you hear and do in the first moments of each day has bearing on the rest of your day. Let’s examine together a few reasons why we should pray in the morning:

The first reason to pray in the morning is a battle awaits you every day.

Psalm 3:1 and Psalm 5:1-3

David said that his foes were increasing in number around him. Daily, we have a battle raging against us, and it is important that we beg the Lord to listen to us, consider our sighing (groaning), and pay attention to the desperation of our cries.

Furthermore, it is important that in the morning we pray to the Lord surrendering the battle of the day to the Lord, making order with our prayers and lifting our cares to Him expectedly and patiently (v. 3)

Albert Barnes wrote, “Probably he refers here to a general habit of praying in the morning, though he makes a particular reference to his circumstances at that time...He was then (at the time of writing this Psalm) surrounded by enemies, and was in danger, and it was only in God that he could hope for protection even for a single day. The propriety of looking to God in the morning by prayer commends itself to any reflecting mind. Who knows what a day may bring forth? Who knows what temptations may await him? Who can protect himself from the dangers which may encompass him? Who can enable us to discharge the duties which are incumbent on us every day? Feeble, helpless, sinful, prone to err, in a world of temptation, and surrounded by dangers alike when we see them and when we do not, there is an obvious fitness in looking to God each morning for his guidance and protection; and the resolution of the psalmist here should be the firm purpose of every man.” (Barnes, Notes on Old Testament: Psalms, Vol. 1, p. 42)

Furthermore, Adam Clarke wrote, “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning.” He finds it good to begin the day with God; to let Divine things occupy the first place in his waking thoughts; as that which first occupies the mind on awaking is most likely to keep possession of the heart all the day through.” (Clarke, The Holy Bible with a Commentary and Critical Notes, New Ed. Vol 3, p. 320).

We should bring our prayers to the LORD in the morning because a battle awaits us daily.

The second reason to pray in the morning is salvation/protection from the enemy is only in the LORD.

Psalm 119:145-146

Calling from a pure and genuine heart, David cried, “save me...”

the latter part of this verse, “and I will keep your decrees.” leads us to our next reason:

The third reason to pray in the morning is Hope is in the Word which provides the source of meditation.

Psalm 119:147-148

Again, David “rises before dawn and cries out.” Furthermore, he placed his hope in God’s Word meditating through the night on His promises.

Thus, the hope we need comes from praying and reading God’s Word early in the morning.

Furthermore, when we give ourselves to study and prayer in the morning, God gives to us the promises we need to meditate on throughout the remainder of the day and “watches of the night”

The fourth reason to pray in the morning is His faithful love experienced in the morning provides guidance throughout the day.

Psalm 143:8

Again, in the morning David cries to the Lord, appealing to Him to experience His love and guidance. Spending time with God in the morning not only provides the promises to meditate on throughout the day, but it also provides guidance in “the way I should go”

The fifth reason to pray in the morning is Jesus prayed in the morning.

Mark 1:35

Jesus drew away from the crowd before the day began, before the dawn of morning, and prayed.

Notice, this passage doesn’t say “as He went and preached, He prayed” or “as He was doing ministry throughout the day, He prayed.” Rather, it says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place; and there He was praying.”

Before engaging in the day’s ministry, He spent time praying to His Father; We should, too.

CONCLUSION: Our mornings matter, and they shape the trajectory of the remainder of our day. As the reported research suggested, what we hear/do in the morning, influences the kind of day we have. Thus, it is important that we begin our days, taking captive our mornings in prayer, with Jesus. Why? Because a battle awaits us; because salvation and protection is found in the LORD alone; because Hope is in the Word alone; because His faithful love in the morning provides guidance for the full day; because Jesus prayed in the morning. What do your mornings look like? Have you seen them effect the rest of your day? TAKE CAPTIVE YOUR MORNING THROUGH PRAYER.