Very early the next morning, long before daylight, Jesus got up and left the house. He went out of town to a lonely place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35 TEV
Can you imagine Jesus being too busy to pray in the morning, gulping down a cup of coffee and thinking, “I’ve got so much to do today. When is there time to talk to the Father?” If we are learning to be like Christ, then we have to learn that our intimacy with the Father always takes priority.
God says it is foolish to succumb to the tyranny of the urgent in the morning:
“It is useless to work so hard for a living, getting up early and going to bed late. For the LORD provides for those he loves, while they are asleep”. (Psalm 127:2 TEV)
Spending time with God in the morning should be a normal part of life. Dietrich Bonhoeffer notes:
“With remarkable frequency the Scriptures remind us that the men of God rose early to seek God and carry out His commands, as did Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and Joshua (cf. Genesis 19:27, 22:3; Exodus 8:16, 9:13, 24:4; Joshua 3:1, 6:12)”.
And the Bible tells us that Jesus made it a daily habit:
“Very early the next morning, long before daylight, Jesus got up and left the house. He went out of town to a lonely place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35 TEV).
Jesus is . . .
Jesus desired intimacy with God. His attitude is reflected in Psalm 63:
“O God, you are my God, and I long for you. My whole being desires you; like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for you” (Psalm 63:1 TEV).
To be like Jesus . . .
“Christ’s message in all its richness must live in your hearts. Teach and instruct one another with all wisdom. Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts. Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father”
(Colossians 3:16-17 TEV).
No doubt you already see the need to spend time with God in the morning.
What are the things that keep you from being consistent in morning devotions?
How could you work within your small group to help each other become consistent at morning devotionals?
By Jon Walker
used by permission
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