Corrie ten Boom said this about prayer, “Don’t pray when you feel like it. Rather, have an appointment with the Lord, and keep it!” For me, this principle is extremely helpful in making prayer the uppermost important practice for me. I must admit, there are times when prayer is not what I “feel” like doing. But in setting a regular appointment with God and then honoring it, no matter what my body or mind might say, my spirit is greatly benefited. Currently, in this stage of my life, the best time for me to pray and be with God is early in the morning. Some of you may say getting up early is not easy But, as Elisabeth Elliot wrote, “The best time for most people is early morning – not because most of us love jumping out of bed, but because it is the only time of day when we can be fairly sure of not being interrupted and because it is best to commune with God before you commune with people. Your attitude toward them will then arise out of your life in Him. Offering to God the first hour of the day is a token of consecration of all of our time.”
Scripture puts a high value on waking up early, even before dawn, and giving the first-fruits of our day to God in prayer, worship and seeking His face:
“O God, you are my God. At dawn, I search for you. My soul thirsts for you.” (Psalms 63:1)
“Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.” (Psalms 57:8)
“A wife of noble character who can find? She gets up while it is still night…” (Proverbs 31:10, 15)
Jesus Himself set for us a clear example of rising early to seek the Father’s face:
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
There is something so right about rising early to seek God in prayer. THOUGH PRAYER IS POWERFUL NO MATTER WHEN WE DO IT, there is something extra powerful about early morning prayer. It is the ultimate way to “deny self”
“…Jesus said… “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
Let’s silence our excuses and yield to the Spirit of God. It’s an opportunity to declare with our lives, not just our lips, that Jesus truly is our most important priority.
It gives the Spirit of God, rather than our fleshly impulses, the first say.
Get on up and pray…Bill Stockham