I find that there is something special about meeting the Lord in prayer early in the morning before the day breaks. When I rise out of bed at what seems to be an inconvenient time, to praise God and to seek His direction in prayer, my day is blessed. When I rise early and begin my day with prayer, I experience added benefits: the sweetness of communing with the Father, uncontaminated fellowship with the Son, and the fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is our example in all that we do. The Bible says that He got up early in the morning, before daybreak. He rose up and offered time in prayer as His sacrifice to God of the first fruits of His day. He went to a solitary place, a place apart. As busy as Jesus was on a daily basis, He realized that nothing takes the place of prayer. Jesus wanted to spend time with the Father, letting the Father know that He wanted more of Him.

Jesus also realized that our sacrifices do not go unrewarded. The Father always answers in a warm, loving, and kind way. His response will excite us to the point that we'll want to spend more of these times with Him.

The words to a familiar song are, "I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses." What a blessed quietness that we can find in meeting God in prayer this way! We can clearly hear His voice and be a blessing to His kingdom. There's a saying, "Try it — you'll like it." We say, "Try it — you'll love it."

Prayer: Father, in Jesus' name, help us to experience the joy and benefits of spending time with You in prayer at the start of the day. Tug at our hearts to make a decision to let early morning prayer be a priority. Draw us close to You as we sacrifice and embark on this journey. Thank You for the new thing that You are going to do in our lives as we meet You in Your blessed quietness. Amen.