Psalms 5:1-3

‘Give ear to my words, O YHWH,

Consider my meditation.

Hearken to the voice of my cry, my King and my God,

For to you do I pray.

O YHWH in the morning you will hear my voice,

In the morning I will order my prayer to you, and will keep watch.'

This is an introductory plea for YHWH to hear his prayer. He asks that God will respond to his words, and consider his thoughts, and addresses Him as both his King and his God (compare Psalms 84:3, also Psalms 44:3; Psalms 68:24; Psalms 74:12). He exults in His majesty and power, and thus declares that He is the One to whom he prays and Who is able to do what he asks. He points out that his prayer is not haphazard. It is ordered and disciplined. Furthermore he wants God to know that he will be on the watch for YHWH's response and direction, and on the watch so that he does not sin. It is a prayer for use in the morning as a person prepares for a new day, a reminder that we too should begin each day with prayer.

‘The voice of my cry,' stresses the urgency of his petition. It is an imploring cry (see Psalms 22:24; Psalms 28:2 etc).

‘My King and my God.' That is, his great Overlord and God, stressing the mightiness and sovereignty of the One to Whom he comes, and to Whom we also can come.

‘O YHWH in the morning you will hear my voice.' He begins each day with prayer, for he recognises that he must go into the day with God.

‘I will order my prayer to you.' Literally ‘I will set in order for you' (‘prayer' is read in). The word ‘order' is used of setting pieces of wood in order on an altar (Genesis 22:9; Leviticus 1:7), or the parts of the sacrifice (Leviticus 1:8). So just like those who set in order the sacrifices he does not pray haphazardly but comes to God with an orderly approach, setting out his prayer before Him (compare Job 33:5; Job 37:19 for its use of ‘words'). This is a lesson we all need to learn. We should come to prayer with hearts and thoughts prepared. While extempore prayer is good, it should not necessarily be without previous thought. That can be lazy prayer. Some, however, see the words as indicating a morning sacrifice, at the offering of which he prays.

‘And will keep watch.' He will be like a watchman on the lookout to hear YHWH's word to him, no doubt throughout the day, and will guard his way so as to avoid sin (compare Isaiah 21:6; Micah 7:7). All God's people should be watchmen in a similar way.