Journey of Prayer - Day 27

Journey of Prayer - Day 27

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

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

Let’s start off today with the acknowledgement that time with God is key to spiritual growth. Thanks to our lesson today, Jesus models elements of a morning devotion time so we can worship and spend dedicated time with our Father.

First, Jesus set the example by getting up early in the morning, even after his hard days of healing and preaching (See Mark 1:21-45). One of the reasons why praying first thing in the morning is so important is because that time with God will change everything else about your day. Your direction, attitude, heart’s desires, etc. will all be impacted by your early quiet time with the Lord.

I know some of us prefer later times in the day to pray and meet with God. Maybe it’s in the middle of the day or right before bed (or as you are falling asleep). I encourage you to keep praying all of these times. We can and should spend time with God all through the day. In Psalm 119:164, the author shares that he will praise God “7 times a day”; and I Thessalonians 5 says we are to “pray without ceasing”.

In Ephesians 6 we learn one reason why God specifically directs us to early morning prayer time. It’s to prepare us for the spiritual battle we face every day: “our struggle is not against flesh and blood …”. Because of this battle, we are to put on the spiritual armor of God and pray. If you are getting ready for battle, when should you put on your armor? Before you go in to a battle, or after? BEFORE of course!! So, we need to spend time with God BEFORE we go into the battles of the day; to put our “armor” on for the day; to pray for the people we love who will be facing the battles of the day, and to get God’s leadership and direction and power for the day. It is extremely critical that we begin the day like Jesus did, with our time of prayer and praise with our Heavenly Father first.

For some of us, that means we need to set a time to get up and meet with our Savior. If you need to get up early to meet with someone at work, a friend for coffee or a doctor for a check-up, chances are you set an alarm or some type of reminder. So, try implementing that same practice with morning prayer, if needed. And, don’t forget to identify the “location” for your prayer time. Some people may have a special spot with a chair/couch while others may have a war room/office/closet, etc. and still others may choose the great outdoors. In our focus verse today, we learn that time and place are both important. “Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place.” He knew He needed to be alone with God, away from all the people and distractions. The place for Jesus’ time with God was important.

If you have a special time and place for being with God, let us know in the comments section below. If you don’t, you can make a commitment do so today. For me, I cherish the quietness of the early morning with God before the hustle and bustle of the day. I start praying while I wake up in bed and then head to my chair (or floor) in my office. I cherish this time and am grateful He shows up to meet me there.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We give you thanks for being our Bright Morning Star, guiding us through our day and the battles that come our way. We need you and want to give you first place in our lives every day. Help us with securing our time and place for our special time with you. We confess that with all the daily demands we face, it’s not easy, but we know it’s right and good. Just as David made a commitment in Psalm 5:3, help us to do the same. “In the morning O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You …”.

In your son’s name we pray.

For further reading: Psalm 88:13; Psalm 119:145-147; Psalm 143:8