By Shirley Rosemarie Evans
In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.
Mark 1:35 NASB
Jesus was God with us. He was the only one who lived a sinless life. He was in perfect communion, unity, and fellowship with His Father. He was fully divine yet human and, in His humanity, He understood the need for the presence of God, He understood that His presence on earth was simply to do the will of His Father. Jesus said, “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” (John 5:30 ESV).
Jesus is our example, and He is the one to whose image we are daily conforming. We do this as we seek to know and to do His will. Jesus got up early to pray. We note that Jesus left the house, finding somewhere secluded. So, guess what: if it worked for Jesus it will work for us.
I’m sure that, like myself, many of us would have experienced those seasons in our lives when we felt compelled to wake up early to spend time in prayer and the Word. So we set our alarm clocks and for days even weeks at a time we do well, but then comes the morning when you hear the alarm but you have had a restless night and you feel like you have only just gone to sleep so you reach for the snooze button thinking just fifteen minutes more. Fifteen minutes turn into an hour and now you are late, you still have to get the children up for school do breakfast, pack lunch boxes etc. You rush through the morning thinking you will have time in the car once you get to work. Then the traffic is horrendous, and you arrive with moments to spare so you rush from the car … you know how this goes. One day becomes two and then you are doing only two or three days a week and before you know it none at all.
The word tells us in Ephesians 6 that we are in a battle and that we need to be fully dressed and armed with prayer if we are to defeat the enemy of our souls. Soldiers don’t rush into the battle and then start checking out their artillery and their defences. No! They go in fully dressed, and with weapons at the ready. That’s how we ought to start our day. Spending time in His presence prepares you for the day ahead in advance of the battles with the children, the co-worker who is determined to undermine you; the store assistant who is more than rude and the neighbour who yet again is parked in your spot. And the last straw is when your husband calls at the last minute to say that he can’t get there on time to pick up the children and Lord knows this is the third time this week. You get the picture…
The thing is that we must develop habits that will stick. According to the adage, “Habits become character and character determines our destiny”. The athlete who wishes to compete in a world championship knows that the road to the competition is one of habit. The habit of rising early, training hard, and eating right, each and every day. So we too must establish habits that are focused on the goal. The goal is to be all that God says we are, living victoriously and strategically for the Kingdom.
So, we set the alarm, we commit to rising when the alarm goes off, and if necessary place the alarm on the other side of the room, so you cannot turn it off or hit snooze without getting out of bed. We have a special place where we pray, maybe beside your bed, at the kitchen table or the closet under the stairs a place where you are likely to be undisturbed. You're there with your bible, or devotional some music and paper and pen. Paper and pen to write down what you feel the Lord is saying to you through His word or what you hear as you are in prayer. As we prayerfully commit to spending this time and as we begin to experience more of God’s presence, as we establish the habit, our character will be developed. You see, prayer really does change us. We cannot live lives marked by holiness apart from His presence. His presence cultivates our dependency on Him, and His presence empowers us for service.
Ask: Why would Jesus get up early to pray?
Seek: How successful have you been in establishing a set aside consistent quiet time with God?
Knock: List the benefits that can be gained from establishing your alone time with God.
(Upper Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash)
(Inner Photo by Prophsee Journals on Unsplash)
