I am an early morning devotion guy. I do not understand those who do them late at night for first of all, I am too tired and I am often still buzzing from the day and have too many distractions. I like the morning because nothing has happened yet and so it has been an easy day so far.
As much as I do love my devotional time, it is not easy getting to it. I am in desperate need of time in the Word, prayer, meditation, and reminding myself of the incredible gifts of grace through the gospel. I need God and sometimes “finding” Him is not so easy early.
I was encouraged to read I am not alone by someone who has impacted my passion for God through his writings and messages – C J Mahaney. In a recent interview he stated this about going to the cross early in the morning:
"Well, what brings me here so early in the morning is my need for the Savior, an awareness of my need for the Savior, and some eagerness that I will, through my meditation on Scripture, freshly encounter the Savior. So that is what brings me here.Although I need to add that I am never brought here apart from a conflict in my soul. Indwelling sin is a particular and formidable opponent against all practices that involve the spiritual disciplines. So this does not take place effortlessly. I’m now 54 years old, so even after 35 years, I can assure you that tomorrow morning when I first awaken, the first voice I hear will be a voice of protest. That voice will be distinctly the presence of indwelling sin appealing to me and seeking to persuade me to stay in bed. That voice never subsides. And that voice also negotiates, so that if I make an initial movement, that voice doesn’t subside and assume that that voice has lost. No. That voice continues to exert effort, and then presents to me various distractions."
Jeff Purswell who serves with CJ as Sovereign Grace Ministries added:
"It encouraged me one time to hear Dr. Piper say, “I feel like I have to get saved every morning. I wake up and the devil is sitting on my face.” I can relate to that.So now I am no longer surprised. I can be discouraged at times, but the coldness that I feel just reminds me how badly I need God. Because apart from him I can do nothing. And apart from getting food for my soul this morning, I will be starving.…"
"I am seeking to encounter God, to draw near to him and to experience a sense of his presence—again, not an emotional encounter—but a sense of his presence. To have my heart set upon him. To have my faith in his promises stirred, and now facing this day standing on his promises, standing on the truth of his Word."
Daily devotions can easily become rote or just a routine activity. They do not have to. For me, it is just a matter of getting to them and as an old West saying goes, “Where you at…be all there.”
As much as I do love my devotional time, it is not easy getting to it. I am in desperate need of time in the Word, prayer, meditation, and reminding myself of the incredible gifts of grace through the gospel. I need God and sometimes “finding” Him is not so easy early.
I was encouraged to read I am not alone by someone who has impacted my passion for God through his writings and messages – C J Mahaney. In a recent interview he stated this about going to the cross early in the morning:
"Well, what brings me here so early in the morning is my need for the Savior, an awareness of my need for the Savior, and some eagerness that I will, through my meditation on Scripture, freshly encounter the Savior. So that is what brings me here.Although I need to add that I am never brought here apart from a conflict in my soul. Indwelling sin is a particular and formidable opponent against all practices that involve the spiritual disciplines. So this does not take place effortlessly. I’m now 54 years old, so even after 35 years, I can assure you that tomorrow morning when I first awaken, the first voice I hear will be a voice of protest. That voice will be distinctly the presence of indwelling sin appealing to me and seeking to persuade me to stay in bed. That voice never subsides. And that voice also negotiates, so that if I make an initial movement, that voice doesn’t subside and assume that that voice has lost. No. That voice continues to exert effort, and then presents to me various distractions."
Jeff Purswell who serves with CJ as Sovereign Grace Ministries added:
"It encouraged me one time to hear Dr. Piper say, “I feel like I have to get saved every morning. I wake up and the devil is sitting on my face.” I can relate to that.So now I am no longer surprised. I can be discouraged at times, but the coldness that I feel just reminds me how badly I need God. Because apart from him I can do nothing. And apart from getting food for my soul this morning, I will be starving.…"
"I am seeking to encounter God, to draw near to him and to experience a sense of his presence—again, not an emotional encounter—but a sense of his presence. To have my heart set upon him. To have my faith in his promises stirred, and now facing this day standing on his promises, standing on the truth of his Word."
Daily devotions can easily become rote or just a routine activity. They do not have to. For me, it is just a matter of getting to them and as an old West saying goes, “Where you at…be all there.”
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