Wednesday Words of Encouragement

Psalm 119:145-148~

I call with all my heart; answer me, O Lord, and I will obey your decrees. I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes. I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

I’m easily distracted.  I will settle down to read my Bible and study or focus on something and all it takes is someone walking into the room for me to lose concentration.  Even a small noise will cause me to lose my focus.  I have often found that the best times for me to concentrate are in the early hours of the morning when everyone is asleep. 

In this Psalm, David is praying before the dawn and in the watches of the night.  I'm sure he prayed many other times as well but notice that the times he mentioned are the quiet times.  These are the times without interruptions. They are the times without busyness.

This Psalm places the importance on prayer before we are in the midst of full blown temptation.  How often do we wait until we are in the middle of a crisis to cry out for help? How often do we wait until after we have failed before we come to the Lord?

Make it a habit to be proactive in your prayer life. Pick the quiet, peaceful times to meditate on God's word.  Spend time in prayer and ask Him to help you when you face temptation. Don't wait until you are in the middle of it.  Figure out what time works for you. Be consistent and you will begin to see how much this time is blessed by God.  You will find it easier to get through temptations without stumbling.

Find that still, quiet time to hear God’s voice. He is waiting to speak to you; you just have to listen.