“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house
and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35
Sisters in Christ,
How do you get your day started? Remember that jingle, “The best part of waking up, is Folgers in your cup”? I love to start my day with a good, strong cup of coffee, and most days I can’t hold a conversation until I’ve got a bit of caffeine in my system. In Jesus’ days on earth, thank goodness coffee wasn’t the first thing he was seeking in the morning!
Jesus rose before the day started and went to meet with His Father in prayer. He sought time with the Lord before any other interactions or movements in his daily routine, and He made prayer time the most important part of His day. In Psalm 5:3 it says, “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.” Our Intercessor, Jesus, shows us what it looks like to live a power-filled, Spirit-directed, God-focused life. It is a day that begins saturated in prayer and time spent alone with God.
For some of us, that might be an intimidating thought depending on how we view God. Jesus taught us to talk to God as “Our Father in Heaven” (Matthew 6:9) and portrayed in John 17 how much He, Himself is praying for us. If you’re ever daunted about praying to the God of the universe, remember that Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). We can look to the ministry of Jesus and know the heart of the Father through His life. The more we see and learn about the God of all creation through His Word (John 1:1-3), the more we can trust Him with our hearts, our needs, and our every day. Jesus was surrounded by all the needs and chaos of the crowds around Him, and before the sun had even risen, He entrusted everything in prayer with His Father.
Even as each new day begins in a cloud of darkness, we can look to the Light of the world (John 8:12) to bring in the new morning’s mercies. Let’s follow Jesus’ example and start our day in the best way possible, by meeting in prayer with the Lord who sees our every need and delights to care for those who cry out to Him (Psalm 18:19, Psalm 147:11). If you’re unsure of what to pray for or how to pray, look to Matthew 6:9-13 and John 17 as Jesus’ instruction and example. May your days be refreshed by the best start to the day: time with Jesus!
In His grace,
Jaime Angel