Use Your Early Mornings For God

   What time of the day have you set aside to devote yourself to communicating with your Lord and immersing yourself in His Scriptures? Although we certainly see examples of godly Biblical characters concentrating on God at all hours of the day and night, there is an emphasis on early morning focus on God.

Consider Job’s morning habit of approaching God on behalf of his children: “and when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did continually.” (Job 1.5). In 1 Samuel 1.19, when Hannah and her husband Elkanah made their yearly sacrifice to the Lord at Shiloh, the text reveals that “They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah.” When David wrote about his devotional habits in the Psalms, he spoke of beginning his day with worship. For example, he says in Psalm 5.3, “O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” In Psalm 59.16 he wrote, “But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.” The sons of Korah recorded in Psalm 88.13, “But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.” The unknown writer of Psalm 119.147 also said, “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.” Our Savior also provides an example of morning worship. Mark’s gospel records that Jesus rose “very early in the morning, while it was still dark,” went to a “desolate place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1.35).

Why is it so valuable to focus on spiritual things in the morning? Let me suggest three possibilities. 1) Morning spiritual devotion equips us for a day of spiritual battle. Because our days are often whirlwinds of constant activity, a spiritual perspective is easily lost. Scripture reading, prayer, and singing in the morning puts us in a spiritual mindset. 2) Morning spiritual devotion allows concentrated focus at an undistracted time. While my house is still quiet, while my boisterous little girls are still asleep, it’s easier to gather my thoughts and direct them to God. 3) Morning spiritual devotion corresponds with the Biblical emphasis on giving God the “first” of what we have. God commanded the Israelites to give him the first of their flocks (Deuteronomy 15.19) and their produce (Exodus 34.26). The firstborn child in every family was claimed by the Lord (Exodus 13.2). In that same vein, it makes sense to devote to God the first moments of our day.                                                                  Nathan