David Yarbrough
Psalm 119:147 (CSB)
I rise before dawn and cry out for help; I put my hope in your word.
You've set your alarm, and when it goes off in the early morning darkness, it jolts you out of the comforting embrace of your dreams. As you groggily try to open your eyes, a battle starts to rage inside you. On one side, there's your flesh, which is trying to convince you how cozy your bed is and to just hit the snooze button one more time (or five more times). On the other hand, your spirit has a deep longing to wake up and talk to the Lord, to start your day with purpose and meaning. Matthew 26:41 (CSB) Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Your flesh is still pulling you to the compromising comfort of the bed—“We'll get up in just a minute, I promise”. We all know how that story ends, though. Before you know it, a minute has turned into five, then ten, then twenty and you're dragging yourself out of bed and regretting the opportunity you missed to commune with the Lord.
In my opinion, our prayer life is the most important part of our faith. Our spiritual health depends on a variety of other factors, including time spent in Bible study, worship, fellowship, and service. But if I had to pick one thing, I'd say prayer is the most crucial. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (CSB) states, "Pray constantly." This means we should pray as naturally and consistently as we breathe. Also, Ephesians 6:18 (CSB) says, “Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints." The significance of prayer in maintaining a healthy and fruitful connection with God cannot be overstated.
"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 CSB). "And all the people came early in the morning to hear him in the temple" (Luke 21:38 CSB).
Praying first thing in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day and directs our thoughts and affections toward God's Kingdom. You do know that the things you let into your mind and heart first thing in the morning have a profound effect on how you feel and how productive you are the rest of the day, right? Therefore, it is important to make prayer a priority in our daily routine and to pray consistently throughout the day. By doing so, we can maintain a strong connection with God and be more focused on His Kingdom purposes for our lives.
According to Exodus 16:21, the manna that God provided for the Israelites every morning would melt "when the sun grew hot." The people needed to gather it quickly before it vanished. Just as the manna was God's provision for His people, so too are the Scriptures our spiritual food. This illustrates why it's so crucial for us to set aside time each morning to read the Bible before the day's distractions erode our chance to connect with God. Reading the Bible daily helps us stay connected with God and strengthens our faith, just as eating food daily nourishes and strengthens our physical bodies. Bible intake is a vital part of our spiritual growth and well-being.
The more you discipline yourself to get to bed on time and get up for predawn devotions, the sweeter that early morning time will grow. I know this sounds like craziness to some people, but you might just find yourself looking forward to getting up earlier. If you find yourself reading this a little later in the day, I encourage you to try getting up a little extra early, maybe even doing some predawn devotions for the next week. You'll be surprised how much sweeter the manna of God's word is early in the morning.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we seek Your presence early in the morning. Help us cultivate a disciplined prayer life, focusing on You and Your Kingdom. Teach us to listen and speak to You in a two-way conversation. Amen.
Life Application Points:
1. Prioritize early morning prayer to deepen your relationship with God.
2. Treat the early morning hours as sacred, dedicated time for God.
3. Embrace solitude and quietness for meaningful prayer.
4. Make prayer a two-way conversation, listening to God's voice as well as speaking to Him.
5. Start each day with prayer to set the tone for a Kingdom-centered life.