I marvel at spiritual giants of the faith who consistently woke up in the early hours of the morning to spend time with Jesus. Nothing could deter them from meeting with Him.
I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. ~GeorgeMueller
If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, he will be in the last place the remainder of the day. ~E.M. Bounds
If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer. ~Martin Luther
We can stop wondering if having a devotional life that is fruitful and consistent is really possible.
Sometimes my heart sinks when I read these quotes. As inspiring as they are, I begin to doubt if I will ever reach the place that these Christians did.
Then I hear my disciplined, Jesus-loving college roommate saying to me, “Miranda, the Lord has given you everything you need to be the most godly woman you can be. Nothing and no one is holding you back except for yourself.”
She’s right. “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3).
We can stop wondering if having a devotional life that is fruitful and consistent is really possible. The answer is an all-resounding yes!
Instead of Hitting Snooze
I want to challenge you to begin your mornings by spending time praying and reading God’s Word. Decide to hear from Him before you hear from any other. I admit this is hard for me. I love sleeping and resting in my bed, but as I look at Jesus and men and women who have devoutly followed Him, I notice a similar pattern. They all woke up. They met with the Lord in the quiet of the morning, and they were prepared for the rest of the day because of it.
Psalm 119:147 says it this way: “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.”
Failure in disciplines we hope to master does not mean we should no longer keep trying. Instead:
- It means that we ask the Lord for His grace, His help, and His joy as our tired bodies and minds rise early in the morning to do what they don’t always feel like doing.
- We decide to wake up early again the next morning and to stick with it.
- We ask someone to hold us accountable.
- We say to ourselves, “If I don’t read my Bible, I don’t eat breakfast,” or “God’s throne before the iPhone.”
The more we meet with Him, the more our love for Him will grow. We will get to a place where not starting our day focused on Him is unthinkable. We will grow in our desperation for Him as we believe Jesus’ words that we can’t face the day without Him.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
He Waits For You Each Morning
My heart said in wonder and amazement, “Lord, why would You want to see my face?What could You possibly see in me that would bless You? Why would You want to hear myvoice? What could I possibly say that would minister to Your heart?” After all these years of walking with Him, I still cannot fathom why He would want to meet with me. But I know it is true. So when I enter into His presence, it is with the thought that He wants to be with me, and that I can bring Him pleasure by letting Him look on me and letting Him hear my voice (Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, A Place of Quiet Rest).
When I read those words, so much of what I thought about devotional time changed. God wants to meet with me. He patiently waits for me every day to talk with Him, worship Him, and read His Word.
Think about the most important and famous people in the world. Many people that work for them are lucky to get a few minutes of their time each day. They take whatever they can get, because they know the person they work for is busy and has many things to do. And yet the One who is before all things and holds all things together will spend any amount of time with you. He loves it when you choose to put aside other things and meet with Him. He is well pleased when you wake up droopy eyed in the morning and stumble to your desk or chair and open up your Bible to hear from Him.
He doesn’t want you to be discouraged about your time with Him. He just wants you to come (Matt. 11:28).
So if you haven’t spent time with Him today, why don’t you stop what you are doing and seek Him? Put everything aside, and show Him that He is worthy of your time and attention. He will never stand you up or let you down.
By Miranda Boyce
