A Morning Prayer to Celebrate the First Day of Summer
By Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading:
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” - Ecclesiastes 3:1
Listen or Read Below:
Growing up in the Ohio farmlands, the first day of summer seemed glorious with the warmth of the sun and the extended daylight hours. Although my family lived in town, we were surrounded by the smell of fresh plowed dirt with crops planted and growing. The buzzing sounds of lawn mowers at work and the aroma of freshly cut green grass a delight for all of us who had weathered the long, dark, cold winter.
As well, we loved seeing a variety of livestock and wildlife out in the fields, seeming to linger, taking in the warm sunshine, as they scampered through the land and raised their young babies alongside them. For humans, animals, birds, trees, fields, and plants, God has placed this season in our hearts as a time to drink and savor the promises of summer. Still, with all the dark, gloomy reports about global warming lingering over our heads, threatening to strip us of the seasons God so lovingly created for us to enjoy, how do we even know summer will come forth once again?
God Is Faithful
Whatever God creates endures for years, against all odds and despite the times, so we don’t have to worry that summer won’t come because He is in control of the seasons, and it is He who decides, our God who is eternally faithful, so we don’t ever have to doubt His word or what He says will take place, because what He says will happen.
As God assures us in Isaiah 55:10-11: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
God Keeps His Word
God’s promises are found in His word, as Genesis 8:22 describes. “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
As spring offers us the promise of rebirth, the beginning of summer offers us so much promise, of new growth and hope for the future. Leviticus 26:4 assures us of God’s faithfulness through the summer months. “I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit.”
Likewise, as summer draws near, Jesus explained how the signs of its coming become evident in what we see around us. “When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near” (Luke 21:30).
God Ordains Summer’s Growth
God looks out for us during the summer months, as Psalm 65:9 explains: “You care for the land and water it; You enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so You have ordained it.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us, “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”
Let’s Pray:
Dear Father,
Thank you for the warmth and beauty of summer. Our hearts are grateful for this warm season You created and for Your great faithfulness. As summer begins once again, we look forward to all You will accomplish in and through us during these summer months. Open our eyes, O Lord, to daily see Your hand and beauty in the coming months. Help us to remember Your promises and to daily be reminded of how You are causing growth both in our hearts and in our land. Let us praise Your name and be grateful to You for the many ways You watch over and provide for us throughout the summer months, both in practical and spiritual ways, each and every day. Lead us to look to You and worship You on the first day of summer and through this warm season of growing, to look to You, seeking to draw closer as You draw closer to us.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
Related Resource: Establishing a Routine of Rest
For a long time, rest felt less like a gift and more like a guilty indulgence — something to be earned, something to feel vaguely ashamed of, something that productive, faithful people did not really need. In a world that measures worth by output, the idea of stopping feels dangerously close to falling behind.
But what if rest is not optional? What if it was never meant to be? Tonight, lay down the hustle. Receive the gift. This is exactly what you were made for. Your Nightly Prayer is a daily Christian prayer podcast from the LifeAudio Podcast Network and Crosswalk.com. Each night, the team behind Crosswalk.com brings you a devotional and prayer to help you end your day in conversation with God. May these nightly prayers help you find the words to pray and focus your heart and mind on the love of God as you end your day. If you like what you hear, subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!