It is vital that we start our day determined that God will take center stage.
Here are a few examples of individuals who did so:
ABRAHAM…..in order to stand before the Lord (Genesis 19:27)
THE AFFLICTED…..those in pain and anguish seek Him early (Hosea 5:15)
DAVID…the day he fought Goliath….it’s better to fight your giants early, for they tend to grow during the day (I Samuel 17:20)
THE DISCIPLES…..they got up early to hear the teachings of Jesus (Luke 21:38)
ELKANAH and HANNA (the parents of Samuel) rose early to worship the Lord (I Samuel 1:19)
GIDEON……he got up early to check his fleece (Judges 6:38)
GOD….yes: the Bible says He gets up early too (Jeremiah 32:3 & 7:25)
THE HEBREWS…..to gather manna. This symbolizes our need to collect spiritual nourishment early. (Exodus 16:16-17)
ISAIAH…..he said, “I will seek the Lord early” (Isaiah 26:9)
JACOB…..to erect a pillar and to make a promise to God (Genesis 28:18-22)
JESUS…Early in the morning He got up to pray (Mark 1:35)
JESUS…..He rose early to teach. Isaiah’s prophecy states the Messiah would be an early-riser (Isaiah 50:4; 41:25 & Luke 8:2)
JOB…..He got up early to offer sacrifices (Job 1:5)
JOSHUA…..he rose early, following God’s orders, to encompass and conquer Jericho Joshua 6:12-15)
MARY MAGDELINE…..she rose up early to go to Jesus’ tomb (John 20:1)
MOSES…..he got up early to build an altar and twelve pillars to the Lord (Exodus 12:24)
MOSES….He rose early the day he climbed Mount Sinia (Exodus 34:4)
THE PSALMIST…..numerous times in the Psalms we find it is normative to pray and praise the Lord first thing in the morning. (Psalm 57:8-9; 63:1; 78:34 & 108:2)
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James 5:16: “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
Luke 22:40: “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’”
I John 5:14: “This is the confidence we have when approaching God: if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. Being assured He hears us, we also know He will grant our petitions”.