Quiet Time in the Morning

In the morning, when the world is waking up and the rush of life has not begun, is a good time to draw close to God. He has been speaking to me about this lately through the Scriptures and a book I'm reading: E.M. Bounds--the Classic Collection on Prayer--a Bridge-Logos Pure Gold Classic.

Robert Murray McCheyne wrote, "I ought to pray before seeing anyone. Often when I sleep long, or meet with others early, it is eleven or twelve o'clock before I begin secret prayer. This is a wretched system. It is unscriptural. Christ arose before day and went into a solitary place. David says, 'Early will I seek thee'; 'Thou shalt early hear my voice.' Family prayer loses much of its power and sweetness, and I can do no good to those who come to seek from me. The conscience feels guilty, the soul unfed, the lamp not trimmed. Then when in secret prayer the soul is often out of tune, I feel it is far better to begin with God--to see His face first, to get my soul near him before it is near another."

Intimacy with God is so important. It's what He wants from us. When we look at some of the prayer habits of Christian leaders, we realize how prayer influenced their ministries:

Charles Simeon devoted the hours from four till eight in the morning to God.

John Wesley spent two hours per day in prayer. He began at four in the morning.

Martin Luther said, "If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day."

Bishop Asbury said, "I propose to rise at four o'clock as often as I can and spend two hours in prayer and meditation."

Samuel Rutherford rose at three in the morning to meet God in prayer.

John Welch, a holy Scottish preacher, thought the day ill-spent if he did not spend eight or ten hours in prayer.

I could cite several others, but the above review is enough to convict me of my sin of omission. I need to spend more time in prayer, so I resolve to get up earlier in order to meet with God.

When God awakens me in the middle of the night, that is time for prayer, too.

The Bible says, "Draw night to God, and he will draw nigh to you" (James 4:8).