I have been walking with the Lord for over 30 years. Through 20 of those years, I have developed a discipline to wake up early to worship, pray and read His Word.
Have you ever intentionally woken up early in the morning for the specific purpose of drawing closer to God?
You might be surprised at how often something like this is mentioned in the Bible.
- Abraham “rose early in the morning…split the wood for the burnt offering…and went to …worship” (Gen. 22:3-5).
- Moses would “rise early in the morning” to do the Lord’s bidding (Ex. 8:20; 9:13).
- Moses “rose early in the morning” to worship and to “read [the Book of the Covenant] in the hearing of the people” (Ex. 24:4).
- Moses “rose early in the morning” to meet the Lord (Ex. 34:4).
- Joshua “rose early in the morning” to heed God’s specified instructions (Josh. 6:12, 15).
- Joshua “rose early in the morning” when there was sin that needed to be eradicated (Josh. 7:16).
- Gideon “rose early in the morning” to find the Lord’s favor on Him (Judges. 6:38; 7:1).
- Samuel’s parents, Elkanah and Hannah, “rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord” (1 Sam. 1:19).
- Samuel “rose early in the morning” to handle a hard task for the Lord (1 Sam. 15:12).
- David “rose early in the morning” in order to obey his father’s command to him (1 Sam. 17:20).
- Hezekiah “rose early” to worship, sacrifice to God and restore the people to God (2 Chron. 29:20).
- Job made it his habit to “rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings” on behalf of his children (Job 1:5).
- Jesus rose “a long while before daylight…and prayed” (Mark 1:35).
- Jesus went “early in the morning” to teach people about God (John 8:2).
- Faithful women sought Jesus “very early in the morning” (Luke 24:1).
- The apostles arose “early in the morning and taught” (Acts 5:21).
What I receive when I seek HIM early in the morning;
Humbles Me
What you do first as soon as you wake up actually determines where your focus is. When we wake up and the first thing we think about is work, we have already put our trust in ourselves. But when we go to Him first, what we are saying is God without you I can’t do this. It’s an intentional act of humility through which I have seen great fruit brought forth.
Strengthens Me
When I wake up early and spend time in worship and prayer, one of the things I have also felt is His strength. Sometimes through many issues I feel like I am alone and weak but once I worship and pray and stay in His presence, at the start of the day itself, I feel His strength and it gives me a new confidence.
Directs Me
Many times I have seen the Lord give me certain directions for the day early in the morning, and also at times the morning prayer plugs me into His presence which gives me sudden wisdom that is needed for the things that come up in the day.
Draws Me
He wants to draw closer to us, and when we make space for Him at the start of each day we open that room for God to come in and fill us with His love, assurance and security which we need to live victoriously throughout the day
I share these personal experiences along with biblical examples to show you that what you do early in the morning matters. When you put precedence for the right priorities you will also see victory that comes with it and it will manifest in your life.