Psalm 92:1-2 (NIV)
It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, 2 to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,

Isaiah 26:9
With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

In Psalm 5, David wrote about the direction of his mind in the morning hours.

Psalm 5:1-3 (NIV)
Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. 2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

The first phrases of these verses contain three repeated requests for God’s attention to his need as David pleads, “Give ear… consider… Listen...” The repetition of these three words reflects the grammatical figure of speech, synonymia. According to E. W. Bullinger, such a figure is “the repetition of words similar in sense, but different in sound and origin.” It emphasizes his great desire for God to hear what he has to say.

David also invokes the benefits of several aspects of God’s character by referring to Him as Jehovah, as his King and as Elohim. The Psalmist also offers up his “words… sighing… cry for help… pray[er]… voice... [and] requests.” He was pouring out his feelings from the depth of his soul, holding nothing back. He unashamedly laid out his requests before God and then waited with great expectation for the results of his petitions. What a great example of how to start our own days: lay out our requests and live out our day in expectation of God’s blessings!

The word, “lay” in the NIV of this verse (“direct” in KJV) meant “to set in order or to lay out in array.” It is used in Exodus 40 referring to the setting in order of the table setting details for the Passover. David laid out and set in order the specific needs and petitions of his heart in the morning.

The phrase, “wait in expectation” in the NIV, is a Hebrew word that refers to looking out for something. A form of the word is also used in Ezekiel 33 for the word, “watchman.” The watchman was the man on the tower, responsible to look out across the landscape for anything coming toward the city. When we’ve laid out our requests to God, we look out across our lives with expectation for the blessings to come our way.

When life gets tough, sometimes sleep itself can be uniquely refreshing. Then the dawn of a new day has the potential of “rebooting our hard-drive.” In that refreshing newness, we should recognize that God’s compassions are new every morning.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

As the sun can be trusted to perpetually rise each morning, so also is the greatness of God’s faithfulness to us.

Even in his sinless life, Jesus Christ also needed to seek out God’s direction and guidance as he began his days.

Mark 1:35
And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

I would think that if anybody could “sleep in” and still coast through a successful day, it would be the Lord Jesus. Even he needed to faithfully maintain his prayerful interaction with his God and Father. Throughout his life on earth, he had to be clear as to God’s purposes for him to fulfill. In John 17, we see the longing of Jesus to do what God wanted him to do. The motto of his whole life seemed to be, “Father, what can I do for you today?”

John 17:4 (NIV)
I [Jesus] have brought you [God] glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

John 4:34 (NIV)
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

Luke 22:42
… Father… not my will, but thine, be done.

I see our relationship with God and our desire to help people as a “cycle of service.” One builds the other. As we feel commissioned by God, then we go out and serve people; as we serve people, then we begin to better understand the nature of the life-mission that God has sent us on. Our realization of our unique giftings begins to unfold amidst efforts of service.

As we have an attitude toward God of “What can I do for you today?” then we are fully equipped to turn to those around us and ask the same basic question, “What can I do for you [my fellow-man] today?” If we’ll begin our day with a mind-set of serving God, then we’ll live out our day prepared to serve those who cross our path. Vertically, we are sons of God as legal heirs of His kingdom. Horizontally, we are servants of God who carry out His will, helping those around us.

In Mark chapter 10, Jesus again told his disciples, in some amount of detail, how he was to suffer and to give up his life (vss. 32-34). In the verses immediately following, he had a discussion with two of his apostles, James and John, in which he asked them (verse 36), "What do you want me to do for you?" He was showing his interest in their lives, while also giving them the opportunity to clearly state their specific desire and its relationship to Jesus. Their request was so human. They each wanted to sit adjacent to him in his future glorification.

In verse 40, Jesus’ response is that the selection of who will sit by him, “… is not mine to give.” This should remind us that even though we ask people “What can I do for you,” it may not be available for us to grant their request. As we first know what God wants from us, then we can know more clearly the extent and limits of what we can do for those around us.

Just a few verses later in the same chapter, as Jesus and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, called out for help. Even though Jesus could surely tell that the man was blind, he still asked the question,

Mark 10:51 (NIV)
"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

On the surface the question of Jesus seemed unnecessary, but in asking it, he both announced his willingness to heal, while also requiring that the man in need profess and proclaim the clarity of his believing prayer. Bartimaeus established his desire by his words, “I want to see.” His declared expectation released the power of God and brought his desired result.

Mark 10:52 (NIV)
"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

By asking, “What can I do for you?” in both the vertical and the horizontal, Jesus developed a lifestyle in which he 1) knew what God wanted him to do; 2) knew what he and God could do for those around him who believed.

At times, when dealing with a difficult situation, I find myself talking circles around the real issues. At those times, I need to simply stop and establish 1) what does God want in this situation? And 2) what do I want to see happen? We need to determine God’s will and decide what we’re believing for. This is also certainly true in ministering and counseling situations.

This overall attitude and perspective has lead to a motto around the Christian Family Fellowship Ministry of “What can we do for you?” As a ministry family, we simply want to do all that we can to help remove obstacles and fears of any kind that might block believers from fully realizing and manifesting all that God has called them to be and to do. We desire to cultivate forums in which believers can speak for God. We want to help to build God’s Word and the power of His spirit in children, youth and adults. We want to help build strong, godly families. We want to feed the hungry. We want to “teach what we know ‘til we hear the trumpet.”

As individuals and as a ministry, let’s ask God, “What can we do for you today?” Then as that guidance unfolds, we can ask those who come across our paths, “What can we (God and I) do for you today?” Every day, our relationship with God fully equips us to serve those around us; and, in return, our service to others cultivates our relationship with God!