Devotional #35 from Psalm 88:13 speaks to prayer in the morning. While prayer is appropriate at any time of our day or night, prayer is best in the morning when our body, mind, soul and spirit are fresh from a rejuvenating rest. Prayer in the morning requires choice and discipline if we are to consistently pray in the first part of our day. Matthew 6:33 tells us to "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

There are times when I think, I think, that we can miss God in the midst of our day if we are not intentional about connecting with Him at the beginning of the day.

Harold J. Sala wrote of a young boy and his experience.
The boy whispered, "God speak to me." And a bird chirped, but the boy did not hear. So the boy said again, "God speak to me." The thunder rolled, but the boy did not hear God in the thunder. Then the boy looked around and said, "God let me see you." And a star shone: but the boy did not see God. The boy screamed, "God show me a miracle!" And a child was born, but the boy did not see a miracle in it. Finally the boy yelled, "Touch me, and let me know you are here." So God reached down and touched the little boy....but the boy brushed the butterfly from his shoulder and walked away unknowingly."

Begin your day with fresh connection with the Lord and likely you will see and hear Him during your day. Beginnings are so important to endings.

Please read devotional #34. This is a call for the people of God to be a people with raised holy hands to God in prayer. While most of us are capable of raising our hands above our heads, raising holy hands seems to be the issue. Raising holy hands will require something more than man is capable of doing without God's help.

Major League Baseball has recently added something to it's past records. It is an asterisk. It is used to designate additional information. Now it is used to designate a player who used performance enhancing drugs while setting a record. That record would be viewed as tainted, stained or impure.
God desires and makes a way for holy hands to be lifted. The contrast used is; hands raised in dispute, anger, or fists uplifted holding on to some grudge or a pointing finger toward someones wrong or violation.

The contrast is holy hands lifted by a heart at peace with God and mankind. Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door. Our hands can be holy as our hearts are right with God and man.

Holy hearts make holy extremities. Feet that will carry us to a place of service and hands that will find expression in doing acts of love, for it is prayer that transforms the heart.

Please read devotional #33 from Isaiah 62:6-7. We have looked at previous scriptures that called believers to be continual in prayer. It seems God wants children of His to be persistent and faithful to pray at all times. Pray when there is no immediate answer. The Lord places great importance upon His children seeking Him in heaven for what is to transpire here on earth.
God desired to establish His people as the "praise of the earth". For that to occur His people would have to pray with a heart in continual fervency. God would establish the people and the nation as they prayed to Him. A people and a nation that would be established by God, through prayer and seeking the Lord of glory would be the praise of earth. If a people or a nation prayed with such fervency today, do you think that God would establish such a nation to be the "praise of the earth"? Those that would choose this lifestyle would be a people after God's own heart.

Devotional #32 taken from 1 Chronicles 5:20 describes a military battle won, not by superior power, not by might, not by strategy nor surprise ambush. This victory was won by prayer during the battle.
I learned from the more mature saints in the church, as a new believer, that as you begin your day you need to be "prayed up" as they said. That meant that you prayed before you began your day (in advance of your day) and you would be victorious. Praying to begin your day is always appropriate and prayer for the anticipated events is a good plan for our day. But this victory was won during the battle. Were you aware that you could pray during a conflict? It doesn't require a paragraph of well chosen words to reach the Lord's ears. God understands the words "help me" just fine. We can pray during a conversation for help and guidance as we are in a conflict or not in one, but need help from the Lord. We can pray, even as the arrows are in flight or the sword is in motion. This victory was won as prayer was offered and trust was placed in a God who heard and delivered them.

Devotional #31 from 1 John 3:21-22 speaks to the condition of our heart as we pray. At the heart of prayer is the heart. Prayer is not about the abundance or fluency of our words, nor the length of our prayer time. At the heart of prayer is our hearts standing before God. The Lord looks to the thoughts and intentions of our heart by weighing them on His balance scales. If our heart holds condemnation, we need to pray for a right standing with God, before praying for others. The young pastor Timothy was urged to guard the faith that he received and fan it into flame, in 2 Timothy 1:6-15. We must guard our heart of faith that nothing would hinder our relationship with God. Fan into flame our heart and obey what pleases Him. Fan into flame our faith, brought to mind the billows I pumped on a cattle ranch about sixty years ago while heating the forge to shape the steel shoes to horse's feet. That billows would raise the color of the coals from a dull red to a bright orange in moments. Do you think prayer could be to the soul what the billows is to the coals? Our nearness to God in prayer can bring confidence that He hears us, and that our prayers may be powerful and effective. May nothing hinder our relationship with God as we do what pleases Him.