City Life Starter

Written by G. Scott Fiddler

The Word

34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” 37 And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. 38 And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

Luke 21:34–38 (emphasis added)

Reflection

If you have been a Christian for any length of time you know spending time with the Lord in the Word and in prayer is the bread and butter of any serious spiritual walk and the foundation for real spiritual growth. 

According to best practices, one’s so-called “quiet time” with the Lord is best done in the morning. See Psalm 5:3 (“O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.”); Psalm 63:1 (“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You.”).  As demonstrated above, during Jesus’ earthly ministry He offered that opportunity to the people “early in the morning.” 

Spending time in the Word and prayer early in the morning prepares you for the day. It opens you to the Lord’s guidance for the day ahead, recharges your batteries spiritually, and puts you in the right state of mind to face the day. It is essential, foundational, and consequential.

Of course, seeking the Lord early in the morning is conditioned on rising early in the morning, and many a good intention has met its end in the warm embrace of early morning slumber. 

If, as in Luke 21, Jesus was appearing in your church for a limited time only, and it was in the morning, you would find a way to get there. Now, however, we meet Jesus in the Word, and we know the Word will be there whether we open it in the morning or the evening. It’s so easy to hit the snooze button a few times until there is no time but to shower, eat, and get to work. 

I know. I tried for years. I set my alarm early and tried through sheer force of will to get up early, so I could spend time in the Word and prayer, and at best I was inconsistent. 

Then one day I discovered the secret. I found it worked almost every time. it was so effective, I wondered why people didn’t write or talk about it more, but then I realized It was probably too obvious to seem insightful. It was hiding right there in plain sight.

The secret? Go to bed early the night before. 

Application

That’s it. Your body needs a certain amount of sleep each night, and once you hit that allotment, you will awaken. It’s that simple.

A decision still must be made. That’s the decision to go to bed early the night before, but that’s an easier decision than the decision to get out of bed when you are in the clutches of early morning sleep-deprived slumber.

And, once you make the decision two or three nights in a row, your body will naturally remind you to go to bed early.

Sometimes the simplest truths are the most important.

Prayer

Lord, please give us the grace to make the decision at night that is the key to finding You in the morning. Amen.