| Will I Ever Be a Leader of Prayer? Part 2 of 5
Issue 1.10 Those who accomplish much in their personal lives for God in their own particular calling were those who were up before dawn, preparing their hearts for the happenings of the day. May we help some of you who have perhaps fought a losing battle with this early morning watch. You have tried but been defeated. As we have studied the lives of those who took seriously the call to morning prayer, we have come to recognize the following "law": the people who have given much time in the morning to prayer and Bible study have always been mighty in their praying, and have succeeded in their labors. George Whitefield said of his morning watch: "It is remarked of Old Testament saints, that they rose early in the morning; and particularly of our Lord, that He rose a great while before day to pray. The morning befriends devotion; and if people cannot use so much self-denial as to rise early to pray, I know not how they will be able to die at the stake for Christ." Making it Personal: Every time I seek to pray, I find my mind filling with everything except prayer - even ministry business. Undoubtedly, this is because I am attempting to call upon God's grace, that He would make me a man of prayer. This "opposition" I feel reminds me of the quote from Samuel Chadwick: "The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray." I've also discovered that when I intend to get up early to pray, my evening activities seem to get extended later and later, making it harder and harder to get up in time to spend meaningful moments with the Lord. I see now that the only answer may be a self-imposed curfew - a disciplined evening is the only way to experience a disciplined morning! - Daniel W. Jarvis, PastorConnect Coordinator
Matthew 6
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