It is 2:16 a.m. and I sit in my office for the second straight morning this early for time with the Lord. Seeking Him is more important than sleep. I have not slept with an alarm clock for over 30 years. He gets me up when He wants me to come to the secret place for time in His presence. Nothing is more important.
It is perfectly still and quiet. Not even occasional traffic on the road outside. Just the Lord and I in sweet communion. My only agenda is seeking Him. Seeking His voice and His will. I never know what He will do in our times together. It is a great adventure. The greatest adventure that keeps me coming back for more time and time again.
How do I describe these times? I will write in my journal. I will read and meditate on Scripture. I will also read in a devotion book for good measure. There is also the time spent just listening for His still small voice. I ask the Holy Spirit to guide these times. To stir me to pray what He wants instead of what I want. I wait before Him. Time becomes irrelevant. The moments pass without notice. There is perfect peace and contentment in His presence. Such as cannot be found anywhere else. It is the best time of my day.
It was the habit of Jesus to get up early to seek His Father. [Mark 1:35] Therefore, it should be my habit as well. He got up early while others around Him still slept. There are no distractions in those early morning hours. The fellowship with the Lord is worth the sacrifice of a little sleep. Tremendous treasures of encounters with His Father awaited. He yearned to be alone with His Father. Shouldn't all of His children follow His example?
When I was younger, it was hard to maintain the discipline of morning devotions. I wanted to sleep to the last minute. If I did squeeze in a little quiet time, it didn't last longer than ten minutes. That changed when I got into college. I often arose early to study for tests. Eventually I began to be more consistent in my time with the Lord.
It was in college I discovered the author Leonard Ravenhill. That man was a prayer warrior and a fearlessly bold prophet. He lived hard, prayed hard, wrote hard and preached hard. His wife testified that he spent about eight hours a day in prayer. It would start around midnight. Ravenhill would get out of bed and go to his home office. He prayed there for two to three hours. Then he would go back to bed for a bit. When he arose for the second time he would immediately go back for more prayer. After breakfast he returned to his prayer closet for more intercession. He took breaks when needed and by the end of the day had prayed about eight hours before going to bed. In between he read a lot, studied for sermons, and corresponded with the many people who reached out to him. This schedule was altered when he was on the road preaching at a conference or revival meeting. He still devoted himself to prayer in those times.
Evan Roberts from Wales was also known to get up around 2:00 a.m. to pray. He pleaded with God to send revival to his country. He went back to bed and slept for a few hours before getting up to pray some more. Roberts is credited with being the catalyst of the Great Wales Revival where over 100,000 people were saved in just six months. Roberts devoted the rest of his life to prayer, even to the point of giving up preaching, so he could give himself exclusively to intercessory prayer.
I admit I am no Ravenhill or Roberts. I am an Edwards. I don't know that my praying really makes all that much difference to the world around me. It sure makes a difference for me. There is nothing more important I do on any given day. There is no place I would rather be. I willingly forsake the company of people to keep company with my God. Even in the wee hours.
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