HOW TO BEGIN EVERY DAYWITH GOD
by Matthew Henry, anabridgement from Works, 1.198–213 [Baker, 1979]
Being the first of three discourses entitled “Directions for Daily Communionwith God”
Part 2 of 2

“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning,O LORD;
in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”
(Psalm 5:3)

Four Sabbaths ago, we published the first part of this excellent exposition ofthis verse by the Puritan pastor, Matthew Henry, in which he deals with prayerin general. In this concluding part of his treatise, Henry explains whymornings are the best time for the exercise of our soul. In reprinting thisarticle, we do fully understand that for many of us living in a modern society,mornings can be an extremely hectic time. However, extraordinary opportunitiesthat the morning hours afford make it imperative for every child of God, who isserious about his Christian walk, to prayerfully consider how those opportunehours or minutes may be redeemed (cf. Col 4:5).

The Special Time Appointed for Prayer

The particular time fixed for this good work is the morning; and the Psalmistseems to lay an emphasis upon this,—“in the morning,” and again, “in themorning,”—not then only, but then to begin with: Let that be one of the hoursof prayer. Under the law, we find that every morning there was a lamb offeredin sacrifice (Ex 29:39), and every morning the priest burned incense (Ex 30:7),and the singers stood every morning to thank the Lord (1 Chr 23:30). And so itwas appointed in Ezekiel’s temple (Ezk 46:13–15). By which an intimation wasplainly given, that the spiritual sacrifices should be offered by the spiritualpriests every morning, as duly as the morning comes. Every Christian shouldpray in secret, and every master of a family with his family morning bymorning; and there is good reason for it.

A. God is Worthy to be Served First

The morning is the first part of the day, and it is fit that He that is thefirst should have the first, and be first served. The heathen could say, “whateveryou do, begin with God.” As the world had its beginning from Him, we have ours,and therefore whatever we begin, it concerns us to take Him along with us init. The days of our life, as soon as ever the sun of reason rises in the soul,should be devoted to God, and employed in His service: “from the womb of themorning,” let Christ have the dew of the youth (Ps 110:3). The first-fruitswere always to be the Lord’s, and the firstlings of the flock. By morning andevening prayer, we give glory to Him who is the Alpha and the Omega, the firstand the last; with Him we must begin and end the day, begin and end the night,who is the beginning and the end, the first cause and the last end.

Wisdom has said, “Those that seek me early shall find me” (Prov 8:17). This maymean early in their lives, or early in the day. Both ways, we show that we careto please Him, and to approve ourselves to Him, and we seek Him diligently.What we do earnestly, we are said in Scripture to do early (cf. Ps 101:8).Industrious men rise betimes; David expresses the strength and warmth of hisdevotion, when he says, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee” (Ps63:1).

B. We are Freshest in the Morning

In the morning we are fresh and living, and in the best frame. In the morning,our spirits are revived with the rest and sleep of the night, and we live akind of new life, and the fatigues of the day before are forgotten. The God ofIsrael neither slumbers nor sleeps, yet when He exerts Himself more thanordinary on His people’s behalf, He is said to awake as one out of sleep (Ps78:65). If ever we be good for any thing, it is in the morning. There is asaying amongst poets that “dawn is a friend of inspiration.” If morning is atime for creative inspiration, so also for spiritual exercises. As He that isthe first should have the first; so He that is the best should have the best.Furthermore, when we are fittest for business, we should apply ourselves tothat which is the most needful business.

Worshipping God is a work that requires and deserves the best powers of thesoul, when they are at the best. How can these powers be better bestowed, or soas to turn to a better account? “Let all that is within me bless his holyname,” says David (cf. Ps 103:1). If there be any gift in us by which God maybe honoured, the morning is the most proper time to stir it up (2 Tim 1:6),when our spirits are refreshed, and we have gained new vigour. So David cries:“Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: [for] I myself will awake early”(Ps 57:8). Let us, then, bestir ourselves to take hold on God early in themorning.

C. There are Fewest Distractions in the Morning

In the morning we are most free from company and business, and ordinarily havethe best opportunity for solitude and retirement,—unless we be of thosesluggards that lie in bed with yet a little sleep, a little slumber, till thework of their calling calls them up, with: “How long wilt thou sleep, Osluggard?” (Prov 6:9). It is the wisdom of those that have much in the world,but have scarce a minute to themselves of all day, to take time in the morningbefore business crowds in upon them, for the business of their religion: thatthey may be entire for it, and therefore the more intent upon it.

As we are concerned to worship God, then when we are least burdened withdeadness and dullness within, so also when we are least exposed to distractionand diversion from without. The Apostle intimates how much it should be ourcare to attend upon the Lord without distraction (1 Cor 7:35). And thereforethat one day in seven, (and it is the first day, the morning of the week too!)which is appointed for holy work, is appointed to be a day of rest from otherwork. Abraham leaves all at the bottom of the hill, when he goes up to the mountto worship God (Gen 23:5). In the morning, therefore, let us converse with God,and apply ourselves to the concerns of the other life, before we are entangledin the affairs of this life. Our Lord Jesus has set us an example of this, who,because His day was wholly filled up with public business for God and the soulsof men, rose up in the morning a great while before day, and before companycame in, and went out into a solitary place, and there prayed (Mk 1:35).

D. God’s Mercies are New Every Morning

In the morning we have received fresh mercies from God, which we are concernedto acknowledge with thankfulness to His praise. He is continually doing usgood, and loading us with His benefits. Every day we have reason to bless Him,for every day He is blessing us. But we should bless Him in the morningparticularly, as He gives out to us the fruits of His favour, which are said tobe new every morning (Lam 3:23), because though the same that we had themorning before, they are still forfeited, and still needed, and upon thataccount may be called still new. Therefore, we should be still returning theexpressions of our gratitude to Him, and of other pious and devout affections,which like the fire on the altar, must be new every morning (Lev 6:12).

Have we had a good night, and have we not an errand to the throne of grace toreturn thanks for it? How many mercies concurred to make it a good night!Distinguishing mercies granted to us, but denied to others! Many have not whereto lay their heads. Our Master Himself had not, for “the foxes have holes, andthe birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay hishead” (Mt 8:20; Lk 9:58). But we have houses to dwell in, quiet and peaceablehabitations, perhaps stately ones. Many have beds to lie on, yet dare not, orcannot lie down in them, being kept up either by the sickness of their friends,or the fear of their enemies. But we have laid us down, and slept withoutdisturbance, and our sleep was sweet and refreshing, the pleasant parenthesisof our cares and toils; it is God that has given us sleep, has given it us asHe gives to His beloved. Many lay down and sleep and never rise again, theysleep the sleep of death, and their beds are their graves; but we have sleptand waked again, have rested, and are refreshed; we shake ourselves, and it iswith us as at other times; because the Lord hath sustained us (Ps 3:5); and ifHe had not upheld us, we had sunk with our own weight when we fell asleep.

Have we a pleasant morning? Is the light sweet to us, the light of the sun, thelight of the eyes, do these rejoice the heart? And ought not we to own ourobligations to Him who opens our eyes, and opens the eyelids of the morningupon us. Have we clothes to put on in the morning, garments that warm upon us(Job 37:17)? Change of raiment, not for necessity only, but for ornament? Wehave them from God, it is His wool and His flax, that is given to cover ournakedness, and the morning when we dress ourselves, is the proper time ofreturning thanks for it; yet, I doubt we do it not so constantly as we do forour food when we sit down to our tables, though we have as much reason to doit. Are we in health and at ease? Have we been long so? We ought to be thankfulfor a constant series of mercies, as for particular instances of it, especiallyconsidering how many are sick and in pain, and how much we have deserved to beso.

E. Morning Presents Fresh Matters
for Adoration

In the morning we have fresh matter ministered to us for adoration of thegreatness and glory of God. We ought to take notice not only of the gifts ofGod’s bounty to us, which we have the comfort and benefit of; but we ought toobserve the more general instances of His wisdom and power in the kingdom ofprovidence which redound to His honour, and the common good of the universe.The 19th Psalm seems to have been a Morning Meditation, in which we aredirected to observe how “the heavens declare the glory of God; and thefirmament sheweth his handy-work” (v. 1); and to own not only the advantage wereceive from their light and influence, but the honour they do to Him whostretched out the heavens like a curtain, fixed their pillars, and establishedtheir ordinances, according to which, they continue to this day. The regularand constant succession and revolution of light and darkness show thisknowledge, even the eternal power and Godhead of the great Creator of theworld, and its great ruler.

Look up in the morning, and see how exactly the day-spring knows its place,knows its time, and keeps them, how the morning light takes hold of the ends ofthe earth, and of the air, which is turned to it as clay to the seal, instantlyreceiving the impressions of it (Job 38:12–14). Look up and see the sun as abridegroom richly dressed, and hugely pleased, coming out of his chamber, andrejoicing as a strong man to run a race; observe how bright his beams are, howsweet his smiles, how strong his influences. If there be no speech or languagewhere the voice of these natural immortal preachers, proclaiming the glory ofGod, be not heard, then is it not a pity that there should be any speech orlanguage where the voice of the worshipper should not be heard, echoing to thevoice of those preachers, and ascribing glory to Him who thus makes the morningand evening to rejoice? But whatever others do, let Him hear our voice to Hispurpose in the morning, and in the morning let us direct our praise unto Him.

F. Morning Brings Fresh Thoughts of God

In the morning we have, or should have had fresh thoughts of God, and sweetmeditations on His name, and those we ought to offer up to Him in prayer. Havewe been, according to David’s example, remembering God upon our beds, andmeditating upon Him in the night watches (Ps 63:6)? When we awake, can we say,as he did, we are still with God? If so, we have good errand to the throne ofgrace by words of our mouths, to offer up to God the meditations of our hearts,and it will be to Him a sacrifice of sweet smelling savour. If the heart hasbeen inditing a good matter, let the tongue be as the pen of a ready writer, topour it out before God (Ps 45:1).

We have the Word of God to converse with, and we ought to read a portion of itevery morning. By it, God speaks to us, and in it we ought to meditate day andnight, which if we do, that will send us to the throne of grace, and furnish uswith many a good errand there. If God in the morning, by His grace, directs HisWord to us, so as to make it reach our hearts, that will engage us to directour prayer to Him.

G. Temptations to reflect on sinful or vain thoughts of the night 
are strong in the Morning

In the morning, it is to be feared, we find cause to reflect upon many vain andsinful thoughts or dreams that have been in our minds in the night season; andupon that account it is necessary we address ourselves to God by prayer in themorning, for the pardon of them. It is certain, the thought of foolishness issin (Prov 24:9). Foolish thoughts are sinful thoughts: the first born of theold man, the first beginnings of all sin. And how many of these vain thoughtslodge within us wherever we lodge! They are more than the hairs of our head. Weread of those that work evil upon their beds because there they devise it; andwhen the morning is light they practise it (Mic 2:1). How often in the nightseason is the mind disquieted and distracted with distrustful careful thoughts;polluted with unchaste and wanton thoughts; intoxicated with proud aspiringthoughts; sown and leavened with malicious revengeful thoughts; or at the bestdiverted from devout and pious thought by a thousand impertinences. Out of theheart proceed evil thoughts which lie down with us, and rise up with us, forout of that corrupt fountain, which, wherever we go, we carry about with us,these streams naturally flow. Yea, and in the multitude of dreams, as well asmany words, there are also divers vanities (Ecc 5:7).

And dare we go abroad till we have renewed our repentance? Are we not concernedto confess to Him that knows our hearts, their wanderings from Him, to complainof them to Him as revolting and rebellious hearts, and bent to backslide; tomake our peace in the blood of Christ, and to pray, that the thoughts of ourhearts may be forgiven us? We cannot with safety go into the business of theday under the guilt of any sin unrepented of, or unpardoned.

H. Morning is Preparation Time for the Day

In the morning we are addressing ourselves to the work of the day, andtherefore are concerned by prayer to seek unto God for His presence andblessing, we come, and are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace,not only for mercy to pardon what has been amiss, but for grace to help inevery time of need: And what time is it that is not a time of need with us? Andtherefore what morning should pass without morning prayer? We read of thatwhich the duty of every day requires (Ezra 3:4); and in reference to that wemust go to God every morning to pray for the gracious disposals of Hisprovidence concerning us, and the gracious operation of His Spirit upon us.

We have families to look after it may be, and to provide for, and are in careto do well for them; let us then every morning by prayer commit them to God,put them under the conduct and government of His grace, and then we effectuallyput them under the care and protection of His providence. Holy Job rose upearly in the morning to offer burnt offerings for his children, and we shoulddo so to offer up prayers and supplications for them, according to the numberof them all (Job 1:5). Thus we cause the blessing to rest on our houses.

We are going about the business of our callings, perhaps, let us look up to Godin the first place, for wisdom and grace to manage them well, in the fear ofGod, and to abide with Him in them; and then we may in faith beg of Him toprosper and succeed us in them, to strengthen us for the services of them, tosupport us under the fatigues of them, to direct the designs of them, and togive us comfort in the pains of them. We have journeys to go, it may be, let uslook up to God, for His presence with us, and go not whither, where we cannotin faith beg of God to go with us.

We have a prospect perhaps of opportunities of doing or getting good, let uslook up to God for a heart to every price in our hands for skill, and will, andcourage, to improve it, that it may not be as a price in the hand of a fool.Every day has its temptations too, some perhaps we foresee, but there may bemany more that we think not of, and are therefore concerned to be earnest withGod; that we may not be led into any temptation, but guarded against every one;that whatever company we come into, we may have wisdom to do good, and no hurtto them; and to get good, and no hurt by them.

We know not what a day may bring forth; little think in the morning what tidingswe may hear, and what events may befall us before night, and should thereforebeg of God, grace to carry us through the duties and difficulties which we donot foresee, as well as those which we do: that in order to our standingcomplete in all the will of God, as the day is, so the strength shall be. Weshall find that sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof (Mt 6:34), and thattherefore, as it is folly to take thought for tomorrow’s event, so it is wisdomto take thought for today’s duty, that sufficient unto this day, and the dutyof it, may be the supplies of the divine grace thoroughly to furnish us forevery good word and work, and thoroughly to fortify us against every evil wordor work; that we may not think of, or speak, or do any thing all day, which wemay have cause upon any account to wish unthought, unspoke, and undone again atnight.

Application and Conclusion

First, Let this word put us in the mind of omissions; for omissions aresins, and must come into judgement. How often has our morning worship beeneither neglected or negligently performed. The work has been either not done atall, or done deceitfully; either no sacrifice at all brought, or it has beenthe torn and the lame, and the sick; either no prayer, or the prayer not directedaright, or lifted up. We have had the morning’s mercies, God has not beenwanting in the compassion and care of a Father for us, yet we have not done themorning’s service, but have been shamefully wanting in the duty of children toHim.

Let us be truly humbled before God this morning for our sin and folly herein,that we have so often robbed God of the honour, and ourselves of the benefit ofour morning worship. God hath come into our closets, seeking this fruit, buthas found none, or next to none, hath harkened and heard, but either we spakenot to Him at all, or spake not aright. Some trifling thing or other has servedfor an excuse to put it by once, and when once the good usage has been brokenin upon, conscience has been wounded, and its bones weakened, and we have grownmore and more cool to it, and perhaps by degrees it has been quite left off.

Secondly, I beseech you, suffer a word of exhortation concerning this. Iknow what an influence it would have upon the prosperity of your souls to be constantand sincere in your secret worship, and therefore give me leave to press itupon you with all earnestness, let God hear from you every morning, everymorning let your prayer be directed to Him, and look up.

Make conscience of your secret worship; keep it up, not only because it hasbeen a custom you have received by tradition from your fathers, but because itis a duty, concerning which you have received commandments from the Lord. Keepup stated times for it, and be true to them. Let those that have hitherto livedin the total neglect, or in the frequent omission of secret prayer, bepersuaded from henceforward to look upon it, as the most needful part of theirdaily business, and the most delightful part of their daily comfort, and do itaccordingly with a constant care, and yet with a constant pleasure.

No persons that have the use of their reason, can pretend an exemption fromthis duty; what is said to some is said to all. Pray, pray, continue in prayer,and watch in the same. Rich people are not so much bound to labour with theirhands as the poor. Poor people are not so much to give alms as the rich, butboth are equally bound to pray. The rich are not above the necessity of theduty, nor the poor below acceptance with God in it. It is not too soon for theyoungest to begin to pray; and those whom the multitude of years has taughtwisdom, yet their end will be fools, if they think they have now no furtheroccasion for prayer.

Let none plead they cannot pray; if you were ready to perish with hunger, youcould beg and pray for food, and if you see yourselves undone by reason of sin,can you not beg and pray for mercy and grace? Are you a Christian? Never forshame say, You cannot pray, for that is as absurd as for a soldier to say, heknows not how to handle a sword, or a carpenter an axe. What are you called forinto the fellowship of Christ, but that by Him you may have fellowship withGod. You cannot pray so well as others, pray as well as you can and God willaccept you.

Let none plead they have no time in a morning for prayer. I dare say, you canfind time for other things that are less needful! And need I remind you thatyou had better take time from sleep, than want time for prayer; and how can youspend time better, and more to your satisfaction and advantage? All thebusiness of the day will prosper the better, for your beginning it thus withGod.

Let none plead, that they have not a convenient place to be private in for thiswork; Isaac retired into the field to pray; and the Psalmist could be alonewith God in the corner of the house-top. If you cannot perform it with so muchsecrecy as you would, yet perform it. It is doing it with ostentation that isat fault, not doing it under observation, when it cannot be avoided.

I remember when I was a young man, coming hither to London in the stage coach,in King James’ time, there happened to be a gentleman in the company, that thenwas not afraid to own himself a Jesuit; many encounters he and I had upon theroad, and this was one; he was praising the custom in popish countries ofkeeping the church doors always open, for people to go into at any time to saytheir prayers: I told him it looked too like the practice of the Pharisees,that prayed in the synagogues, and did not agree with Christ’s command, “thou,when thou prayest thyself, enter not into the church with the doors open, butinto thy closet, and… shut thy doors” (Mt 6:6). When he was pressed with thatargument he replied with some vehemence, “I believe, you Protestants say yourprayers no where; for I have travelled a great deal in the coach in companywith Protestants, have lain in inns in the same room with them, and havecarefully watched them, and could never perceive that any of them said hisprayers night or morning but one, and he was a Presbyterian.” I hope there wasmore malice than truth in what he said; but I mention it as an intimation, thatthough we cannot be so private as we would be in our devotions, yet we must notomit them, lest the omission should prove not a sin only, but a scandal.

Make a business of your secret worship and be not slothful in this business,but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord (Rom 12:11). Take heed lest itdegenerate into a formality, and you grow customary in your accustomedservices. Go about the duty solemnly. Be inward with God in it; it is notenough to say your prayers, but you must pray yourprayers, must pray in praying, as Elijah did (Jas 5:17). Let us learn to labourfrequently in prayer, as Epaphras did (Col4:12); and we shall find it is the hand of the diligent in this duty that makesrich. God looks not at the length of your prayers, nor shall you be heard foryour much speaking, or fine speaking; but God requires truth in the inwardpart, and it is “the prayer of the upright [that] is his delight” (Prov 15:8).When you have prayed, look upon yourselves as thereby engaged and encouraged,both to serve God and to trust in Him; that the comfort and benefit of yourmorning devotions may not be as the morning cloud which passes away, but as themorning light which shines more and more.

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