“On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.”
Psalm 63:6-8 (NIV)
David wrote about praying to the Lord for help, through all the watches of the night, indicating either very early in the morning or very late at night. Whether early or late, there is a special and sacred time to talk to God, in the quietest hours of a day.
A group of 25 Christians in South Korea started an early morning prayer meeting in 1980. The pastor believed that there is something special about early mornings, since the Exodus deliverance, falling walls of Jericho and resurrection of Jesus, all occurred in the early morning hours. Today, that morning prayer group in South Korea has become a church of 100,000 members.
For some people, the early morning hours are special and for others, the late night watches are favored for connecting with the Lord. Whatever time of day our hearts are most open to focus on God, is a time when something special is going to happen, as we talk to Him in those quiet, sacred hours of the day.
A true story about someone’s late night prayer, was when a young college student was studying for an exam in her dorm. After studying all night, she was unable to unwind and fall asleep, so she decided to take a walk. Being raised in a Christian home, she prayed, asking for an angel to protect her as she prepared to take a very late night walk.
After walking for a while in the peaceful moonlight, she spotted a man leaning up against a tree, looking at her. She was startled to see anyone outside at that time of night, but she kept walking to her dorm, looking straight ahead, grateful that the strange man never followed her.
The next day she heard about a rapist in that particular area, so she notified the police to tell them about the man she saw, and after arresting a few men, they needed someone to identify the suspect in a line up. Since the victim was unable to do so, they called the young college student to come in and she identified the man she saw that night. After pointing him out, she asked the police for permission to speak to him.
With detectives at her side, she asked the man if he remembered her and he did. Then she asked him why he didn’t attack her that night. The man scoffed, and answered, “Attack you? With that big dude by your side?” In that moment she realized that the
“big dude” was her guardian angel, who was walking along side her. Each one of us has a
“big dude” guardian, walking beside us every day of our lives. Praise God for our guardian angels.
Another true story is about Sheila Walsh, a Christian singer who was also once a host on the TBN television network. She struggled with depression for years, since her father committed suicide when she was only five. One day in 1992, her depression brought her so low, she checked herself into the psych unit of a hospital. While placed on suicide watch, a nurse would go into her room to check on her every 15 minutes throughout the night.
In the latest part of the night, a man she never saw before, stepped into her room, stood beside her and handed her a little toy stuffed lamb, saying to her,
“The Shepherd knows where to find you, Sheila,” and then he disappeared.
Sheila woke up the next morning, wondering if it was real or all a dream. Then she saw the stuffed toy lamb lying on the floor next to her chair. Sheila believes that the man who came into her room was an angel, who left a gift behind as proof. She has since recovered and shares her story with many others.
Nothing can stop the good Shepherd from comforting His lambs, no matter what places their distressed mind or heart leads them to. The Lord is a fortress and refuge in our times of sorrow and brokenness. When we pray in the quiet watches of the morning or night, He touches our hearts. If He thinks it necessary, we may see our angel in some form of disguise, since they are assigned to always guard and hold us up. (Hebrews 13:2)
Lord, thank you for how you meet us during our prayers in the quiet early morning or late hours. We believe you are always with us, protecting, blessing and healing us in every way that we need it. Amen
