Start Your Day With A Powerful Early Morning Prayer

Before we pray I'd first like to speak on the importance of early morning prayers. I want us to understand why we should be praying first before we start our day. Because it's only once you understand the importance of morning prayer that you can begin to put it into practice in your own life.

Not all private prayer is effective, but private prayer is rewarded, everyone needs a place to be alone with God.  As long as we don't have this place, this prayer closet, a place where we can have private prayer, then we will not be able to maintain a life that is filled with power.  A life where it's evident that God is in us and he works through us.

Mark 1:35 says, Then 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.  Jesus knew the value and power of private prayer in the morning.  In fact, he knew the value of being alone with God.  Jesus spent time in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights fasting and praying.  He later spent more time alone praying in the Garden of Gethsemane before the cross.  His example is important for every believer.

We can't do the work of God if we are not spending time with God.  We can't live and walk by faith.  We can't even live in a life pleasing to God if we are not filled with it, if we are not spending time alone with God.  Everyone who claims to follow Christ should take the time alone to recharge, they should take time to talk to God.  Get to know him for yourself,  not just through a sermon that you hear online, but get to know him for yourself. Take the time to read scripture and consider what God has for you next.  Take the time to be still and know that He is God.

And let me challenge you right now stand up and be honest with yourself.  Are you praying like you should be, are you taking the time to recharge your faith.  Do you have a place where you can pray with no distractions, a place that you can pray openly, a place where it's just you and the Lord.

I challenge you to find your time for private prayer, because this life will drain you too much. Your life will happen, situations will occur, and things come up that will drain your focus on God.  Doing life out of your own power simply won't work.  We need God, we need the Holy Spirit so that we don't fatigue and burnout in our faith.  We need him so that we don't grow weary.

Spending time with God keeps our focus on him and it keeps the focus off ourselves.  And I believe that the best time to pray, the best time to have your private moment with the Lord, is in the morning, just as Jesus did.  That's when our spirits are fresh, our minds are free, and the body is rested.  It's before the cares and distractions of the day have taken our focus.  It's better to go from prayer to business than from business to pray.

Again, Mark 1:35 said, 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.  If Jesus made the effort to get up and pray while it was still morning, how much more important is it for us.  How much more important is it for us to get up before the world grabs possession of our thoughts, before the devil tries to tempt us and fill us with unholy thoughts.

By having communion with God the Father in the morning we are saying Lord, out of all of my priorities, instead of going for a run, instead of going to the gym, Lord you are the most  important priority of my day, I will give you the first fruits of my day.  If we allow time for God first thing in the morning he will bring together the rest of our day.  You'll find that you start your day stronger, you start your day being full in your spirit, and you're in a stronger position not to be hungry for this world.

But, if you wait until later to have your private time with the Father, what tends to happen is, and if you're honest you will agree, what tends to happen is that we push it back.  I'll pray later, I'll pray as soon as I get home, I'll pray after this, I'll pray just before I sleep.  It gets pushed back further and further and it either never gets done or it's done in a hurry.  And then you'll find that you've gone days without spending quality time in God's presence.  Days without talking to the Lord or reading his word.  And that's when you're in danger of filling yourself up with the world and leaving no room for God, when it should be that you fill yourself up with the Lord leaving no room for the world.

Have you thought what Colossians 3 means when it says, Since then you have been raised with Christ set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Verse 2 then says, Set your minds on things above not on earthly things.  Jesus wants us to seek first His kingdom and righteousness.  And this begins with how we set our minds, emotions, and heart during the first part of each day.  What we think about, what we'd dwell on, that's what we become.  And if we start each day with communion and prayer, if we start each day with worship and praise then we will bear much fruit for the Lord.

Jesus woke up before daybreak because he wanted to avoid the distractions that would come from people, the distractions that would come from events and duties.  And we too should also have set appointments with the Lord that we will not miss or put off because of anything else in this world.  Don't be choked out by the worries, the pleasures, or the duties of this life.  Set your mind on things above.

It doesn't mean neglect your responsibilities, it simply means prioritize your soul and your spirit, because in a heartbeat any of us could be standing in front of our maker.  And the thing is, those other priorities, those are the duties, they won't mean a thing when you stand in front of the Lord.  All that matters is your relationship with him.  When we  devote ourselves to the Lord, when we devote time and energy into his word every morning he restores our soul.  He makes us walk in the paths of righteousness.

But if we choose to let go of our prayer life, if we choose to let go of that private prayer time in the morning, then several things can happen.  We're not able to see things and people  around us from a spiritual standpoint, our discernment levels are low.  We end up reacting to people and situations from a carnal standpoint, instead of, "A let go and let God handle this perspective".  We end up facing our day without being fed in our spirit.  Meaning there's more room for us to consume ungodly things and things of this world.

There are countless things that can go wrong in your day if you choose not to begin your day with prayer.  Of course there are still challenges and things can still go wrong when you do pray in the morning.  But the difference is after you start your day with prayer you will find that you are able to take things on with a peace beyond human understanding.  There is a grace that is upon you.  You're able to handle things with confidence knowing that you have a God who works through you in you and for you.

God already knows what we will face each day before we even open our eyes.  Why not  take a few moments to ask him what his plan is.  Why not take a few moments to ask for direction.  Why not take a few moments to simply ask for protection.  Psalm 119:147 says, "I rise before dawn and crying for help I have put my hope in your word. Hope in God's Word encourages us to continue in prayer.

It's better to take time from sleep than not to find time for prayer.  We have access to God at all hours and if our first thoughts in the morning are of God, then he will help to keep us in the right frequency all day long.  In a frequency where we can hear His voice, in a frequency where we are directed by Him and by His Spirit.

So hear me, our earliest thoughts should be those of devotion.  Our earliest actions should be those that acknowledge God, and that acknowledge His goodness and His mercy.  Our first actions should be just as Jesus did our first actions should be private prayer they should be those as described in Mark 1:35, 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. those should be our first actions resembling those of our master.  So make a commitment to start your day with God.  Make a commitment to start your day with  prayer.

Let us pray, Dear Lord, I place today in Your hands, Father.  The grace the peace and protection that You offer I claim it over my life.  Lead me not into temptation, give me the strength and grace to keep my heart pure and guarded against ungodly things. Take the throne of my heart, take the reigns over my emotions, take control of my mind.

Throughout this day, may Your presence be so real and so tangible to me that I may not fear anything but walk in complete faith that the God of the Heavens sees me.  I pray that nothing can separate me from You today.  Teach me how to choose only Your way so that each step that I take will lead me closer to You.  I want to walk into Your arms Lord, and I want to be aware of You and Your powerful presence in everything I do and wherever I may go.

I speak the protection of the blood of Jesus to surround me and my family.  May Your pillar of fire be seen where my family and I abide every night.  May Your glorious fire be seen to form a hedge of protection around me.  Father, I pray for a hedge of protection at my job, in my car as I travel.  I ask for Your divine protection Lord Jesus.  Give me the strength to face this day, Lord, I don't know what it will bring and I don't know what awaits me today, but be with me. Father, direct my steps this day into a way that leads me to peace.

Strengthen my heart to walk in obedience to Your commandments.  I ask that you would release grace and mercy from heaven to lead me and guide me.  Be my provider, be my Jehovah-Jireh, be my way maker, Lord, be my strong tower, my protector, and my master. 

I ask that you would bring me peace of mind, and within my heart, Lord.  Father, I have faith that you are working all things together for my good.  Will you silence every confusing voice from the enemy because you are a God who loves us.

And even as you are performing that good work in the background even as you are working in ways that I cannot see or comprehend, I will continue to trust you. I will continue to have faith because your way superseded ours.  Your ways are higher than ours.  Protect me from any selfish or careless thoughts, words, or actions that don't give you glory.  Keep me from being distracted or discouraged by the devil.  Keep me from being affected or impacted by any naysayers or negative people.

Father, I rejoice in the gift of this new day, and may the light of your presence Lord, may it set my heart on fire on fire to love you Jesus.  Father, I pray that you open doors for me today, open doors of opportunity, doors that will lead to breakthroughs.  Father, keep me even from my own carnal wants and desires and thoughts that don't bring you glory.  Help me to walk by faith and not by sight help me to walk by your word and not by my feelings, Lord, I commit myself and my family into your hands, in the name of Jesus.  I bless your  holy name, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.
~Grace for a Purpose