“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)
Habits have long been recognized as essential to our wellbeing. Every life has a habit. For example, most of every one of us must brush their teeth early in the morning, as a habit. In most households there is a habit of greeting each other, first thing in the day. When you have a habit, you do not need to be prompted for it is part of you. Like washing hands before dining; those with this habit, do not need to be reminded. People who have got used to strapping on a seat belt insist so whenever driving without any urging.
The Lord Jesus had a habit, as we see in our verse today. It was the habit of waking up early in the morning to pray. Perhaps we may speculate on the reason behind this habit of his. First, the morning is usually in most places a quiet time allowing one to be alone without interruption and concentrate on a certain matter. Jesus, we may suppose, did not want any distractions when talking to His Father in heaven. Then, also, for most people when they rise up there are fully energized after a night’s rest. With their minds alert they can bring their needs to the Almighty God with a clear purpose.
Your life may have as many habits, but one which could be just as helpful is waking up early to pray, as a first thing. Psalm 5:3, says, “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”
There is of course no time of the day God has earmarked believers for prayers. “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Unlike Moslems, Christ followers do not have to fix themselves in one in a particular position and face a certain direction for God to hear them! Jeremiah 22: 23 says, “I am a God who is everywhere and not in one place only.” However, taking after the regular habit of Jesus of waking up early to pray, this one might be a good habit, worth emulating.
Prayer today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, I rise up early in the morning to give you praise for you have been so good to me, and may you go ahead of me today, this I pray in Jesus’s name.
