Morning Vigil: A Meditation on Psalms 3 and 5

Lord, I rise already weary, my body heavy and my mind burdened. The night’s rest has not restored me, and the first thoughts of the day are of weakness and pain. Yet even in this frailty, I turn to You, O Lord, for You alone are my strength and my salvation. As the psalmist cried, “How many are my foes, O Lord, how many rise against me!” so too do I feel the assault of unseen enemies; the whisper of Despondency that seeks to drown the heart in gloom, the shadow that says there is no help to be found in You.

But You, O Lord, are my shield, my glory, and the lifter of my head. You are near to those who call upon You, near to those whose bodies tremble and whose hearts feel faint. You hear the sigh that never reaches the lips, the inward cry that only Your Spirit interprets. In the stillness of this morning, I call upon Your Name, Jesus, the Name that scatters darkness and gives light to the soul. Let it be my breath and my heartbeat, my waking and my rest.

When the demon of Despondency presses close and I am tempted to measure the day by my strength, let me remember that it is You who sustain me. I lay down and slept, and I rise again because You have upheld me. Not by my will or power, but by Your mercy do I stand. Teach me to look not upon the waxing or waning of my vigor, but upon the steadfastness of Your love.

Let my prayer rise before You like incense, O Lord, and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice renewed at dawn. Guard my heart as I go forth into the hours ahead. Let no thought of self turn me inward; rather, fix my gaze upon Your face, radiant even through the veil of weakness. May every breath be a confession of trust, every step an act of surrender, every fatigue an offering of love.

For You, O Lord, bless the just; You surround him with favor as with a shield. Surround me too, not because I am worthy, but because You are merciful. Let me rest, not in the comfort of health or the ease of body, but in the joy of belonging to You. Though the body falters, the soul shall find its strength in Your Name, and even in the pit of affliction, I will rise and say: You, O Lord, are my glory, my salvation, and my peace.