Psalm 5:3

“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
In the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation.”

How did you start your day this morning? It is nothing new to say that we are of a busy-bodied society. You and I are prone to complain that there are not enough hours in a day to get all of our “vitally important” tasks done. We need to step away from this and be people who are Spirit-led throughout the day, stopping at times when it seems least beneficial and talking to the Creator.

This needs to be a regular task – and I use the word task purposefully. Let us not make of Jesus just another check on our to-do list, but we certainly need to show Him that He is Lord of all, and sometimes that means scheduling in time for prayer. And guess what – He hears our voice. He is not like the arrogant boss at work who only hears what he wants to hear. He is not like the kids who must have everything repeated three times for them to hear it. No, He is the loving Father, waiting patiently for His sons and daughters to speak to Him – and He listens.

He doesn’t always answer right away – most the time He doesn’t. But did you ever consider this is because he wants us to be focused on him throughout our day? He wants us to be of good faith, waiting for that reply. This “expectation” as David writes in this Psalm, causes us to look to God. Isn’t that what God wants above all? And maybe, just maybe when we do that, He will grant us our requests for He is pleased in our response to our own requests. Yes, I believe God looks for our response to our own requests before He responds. How does that change the way you pray?

This time of quietude and seeking out Jesus, presenting Him with our concerns does not have to be in the morning – but doesn’t that give us the best opportunity to seek Him in expectation the rest of the day? Ask Jesus for a calming work environment. Ask Jesus for wisdom in teaching your kids. Ask Jesus to help you manage your time. Ask and wait in eager expectation. What are you asking Jesus for? What does your response to your request look like?