The Prayers of Morning and Evening
Psalm 119:145-149

INTRO: When I was a child I prayed as a child. My understanding from my parents was that our Lord was everywhere, saw everything and heard everything. To me that meant He was always present when I needed to talk to Him. I had little idea of formal prayer except the one many say at the end of the day asking to be kept safe until the new day dawns.
Whenever I wondered about something, was troubled about something or just discovered something new to me I would mention it in my thoughts directed to my constant listener.
As I grew up this slipped away with my childhood. I still prayed in perhaps a more formal way, with salutation, body and closing. Other concerns of the world pressed in and took over my thinking. Then I got busy with all of the commotion of life and scarcely seemed to have time to think of our Lord.
Now that I have been blessed with the time of retirement, time to take up a new task and time to think back over my life, I started wondering about the buzz of life that seems to drown out our communication with God.

How busy is your day? Are you rushed from the time you awake in the morning until you lie down to sleep in the evening? This just seems to be the “American way” these days. We are always seem to be “too busy”. Too busy to enjoy a good book. Too busy to enjoy a hobby. Too busy to visit a friend. Too busy to have a special lunch with a child. Too busy to do the important things because we are doing the urgent things. And too busy to find time for quiet reading of scripture. Too busy to spend time in prayer.

For our text tonight I would like us to consider Psalm 119:145-149 – “145. I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O Lord! I will keep Your statutes. 146. I cry out to You; Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies. 147. I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word. 148. My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word. 149. Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O Lord, revive me according to Your justice.”
I wonder how busy the psalmist was ... the king of a nation. Yet he dedicated time in his day for prayer. In our text we read another of his brief prayers, and it has some points worthy of mentioning.

I. First, there is the wholeheartedness of prayer – the Psalmist says in v. 145 “I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O Lord!”
A. I wonder if we may be too casual in praying. By that I mean do we put our heart into our prayer? Have we slipped into uttering prayer sometimes more from rote then from feeling?
B. I wonder if prayers may go unanswered for lack of fervency. Shakespeare may have had a similar thought in Hamlet where King Claudius says "My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go."
C. In our text, the psalmist refers to his praying with his “whole heart”.
D. Look with me at Colossians 4:12 – Paul writes; “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” “...laboring fervently for you in prayers...”
E. Here are some illustrations of this kind of praying.
1. Hannah - 1 Samuel 1:10 – “she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish.”
2. Elijah - James 5:17 – “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.”
3. Jesus - Luke 22:44 – “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. And His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
F. James says in 5:16 – “...The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” “...fervent prayer of a righteous man...”
G. I recognize that there are many distractions - so, Matthew 14:23 – “And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on a mountain by Himself to pray. And when evening had come, He was alone there.”
II. We also see in verse 145 this supplication: “hear me”
A. I know there are times some may wonder if He really is hearing.
B. It may be at those times when we are at some deep valley and desperately need answers ... but we just don’t see them.
C. It may be at those times when sin has overtaken us, and we are wondering if He really wants to hear us (we’ve disappointed Him, etc.)
D. Out of the depths of struggle and concern Nehemiah pleads to the Lord in Nehemiah 1:5,6 - “5. And I said: "I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, 6. "please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned.”
E. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 130:1,2 – “1. Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; 2. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications.” “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee...”
F. I find great comfort in Isaiah 38:4,5 – “'Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; and I will add to your days fifteen years. 6. "I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.'' '” - is there not wonderful assurance here ... God does hear; God does see; prayer can change things! But these are fervent prayers.
G. The psalmist says “...I will keep Your Statutes” - he could not expect God to hear him—if he was not hearing God!!! How necessary it is for us to understand this in prayer.
III. Then in verse 146 we have the supplication: “save me”
A. Where have I heard those words before? I would like is to consider Matthew 14:30 – “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!''” “...and beginning to sink...”
B. I do not think the psalmist is praying for eternal redemption here.
C. I think that he is finding himself in much the same position in which Peter was ... beginning to sink!
D. Do you ever have that “sinking sensation”? Bad news which is affecting you has come ... a knot in the pit of the stomach, a feeling of total helplessness perhaps. I know I have.
E. A simple and fervent prayer which covers the need-- “save me”
F. Matthew 14:31 – “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?''” - Once again, I see in this factual presentation a point of great assurance.
G. So we ask the question? Do we have the faith, the confidence to utter the prayer?
IV. We see something else here in verses 147 and 148, the psalmist is praying early and late.
A. I began these thoughts with the recognition of the “busyness” of our lives. Yes they are busy there is no doubt. Things clamor for our attention constantly all day and into the night. The phone calls, text messages, both wanted and unwanted. The e-mail, people coming to the door, people at our place of business and on and on. Things we feel we must do, things we feel we should do and things we feel we are neglecting.
B. I consider these thoughts knowing that so many comment on lack of time for studying, praying, meditation.
C. What examples can we find of people coping with the stress of living? As a child with the quiet mind of a child we could communicate with our Lord with ease, but pressures of life have driven this from us. How then should we approach this shortcoming? Let me suggest a few verses that might help. Listen first to: Psalm 55:17- “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.” Now listen to Daniel 6:10 – “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” – Notice the word “custom”, these men established “habits” of prayer. Not habits in prayer but habits of setting time aside to communicate with God.
D. Jesus took time aside as we are told in Mark 1:35 – “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” “...rising up a great while before day...”
E. We know from experience that things work better in our lives with patterns, routines - but such routines must be established and become life habits.
F. I know as well as anyone about the intrusions of a day - so did the psalmist.
G. In our day however, early and late ... there are wonderful times when we can find solitude to open our hearts to our Lord, open the lines of communication as a child, heartfelt, plain conversation with someone who loves us.
V. We see the plea in verse 149 - Hear me because you love me [para].
A. I am far more ready to hear someone I love than someone I hardly know.
B. I am far more confident of getting a “hearing” with someone who loves me than from someone for whom I am only a number or a name.
C. This, then, is the appeal of the psalmist - he knows God loves Him ... so, he appeals to that love for a “hearing”.
D. I’ll tell you in truth: the most satisfying of prayer is the prayer of/from a relationship with our Lord!
E. It is in that way that Jesus teaches us to pray and what to avoid. Matthew 6:5-9 – “5. "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6. "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7. "But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8. "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9. "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven” , “Our Father...” - and Paul tells us we can address God as “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15)

CLOSE: Each of us needs to ask ourselves “Is my voice that of a stranger to God?” Pray from your heart and it will not be. Set aside quiet time in the morning and evening, time without interruptions so that your mind is quiet. Be like a child and talk to your loving Lord from your heart. He cares and He is always there.
I encourage each of us to consider establishing some life habits relating to prayer. Will it be easy? Probably not, but if prayer is important to us, those habits can be formed.
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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.
Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

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Reference Sermon
Cecil A. Hutson May 15, 2005