Awaken The Dawn

Refreshment in the Morning opment. I remember certain hymns were chosen with monotonous regularity. One of them was “Sweet Hour of Prayer.” I wondered then (and still do) why people don’t actually pray for an hour if it was so sweet. Thank God, I now understand what the dear blind minister meant when he wrote the poem. When a person first desires to pray on a regular basis, there will be a few problems. Count on it! But this desire, coupled with consistent discipline, will eventually turn into delight. Much of my prayer in the beginning cen- tered on asking God to help me know His will. I needed direction for myself and the church, so I adopted some of the Psalms to reinforce my own faith. There were times when I audibly and forcefully prayed some of these state- ments, time after time. Eventually, the prayers became my prayers as the Word of God worked in me. I cannot help but feel that these prayers became the wonderful founda- tion for all that has happened in my life. If you too are seeking help and direction, try using the following Scriptures: I love Psalm 27. I have walked the floor many times, prayer-reading those magnificent lines. For several days, when I first started morning prayer, two lines of verse 11 became an obsession. These are not just David’s words anymore, I claim them as my very own:

Teach me Thy way, O LORD, And lead me in a level path. This is also a life changing passage: Make me know Thy ways, O LORD; Teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth and teach me,

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