Morning Shine Or Midnight Oil

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a morning person. While I buffet my flesh often and get up as early as I need to in order to get done what needs done, it is not my ideal. I find myself most comfortably awake after 7am. I rarely sleep past 8am unless I’m sick or after an extremely late night experience. This is simply because I prefer to start the day regardless of what time I went to bed. There are days when I have to be up earlier than that and I do it. Discipline, Godliness, righteousness, and duty calls for it.

Whether a morning or a night person, the consistency and fervency of a life of prayer is what determines the strength of your relationship with God.

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At night, I am a ranger and a warrior! I can burn the midnight oil until it’s all gone and then I get some more. As the story of the 10 virgins goes, I would not be one to be caught without oil in my lamp (Matt 25). I can hang with the best of them into the wee hours of the morning. I am able to think clearly, focus in silence and meditate on whatever is before me. The bible does mention special things about the morning hours and lo and behold, there are special things about the midnight oil burners as well.

My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. – Isaiah 26:9

Something for the night people – yearning for the Lord can happen at night. Something for the morning people – longing for Him can happen in the morning. We need Him at both times. He can be found at all times.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: – 1 Peter 5:8

This invokes the part of a night time warrior. We must be vigilant at all times. We must be on guard in order to sense and attack when our adversary strikes. However…

I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. – Psalms 119:147

There’s something to be said about early risers. Forsaking sleep in order to seek God has an element of sacrifice related and connected to fasting. When we give up something important to our flesh in order to pursue God (something important to our Spirit), we’re guaranteed to encounter Him on a whole new level. And then there’s this…

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. – Mark 1:35

Jesus preferred to pray in the morning. It makes sense because then you’re fresh from any stressors and influences of the day. For him, this was before Peter could say a dumb thing, before John and James could discuss their next adventure, before Judas could inquire about the finances, before Thomas could doubt how the day will unfold, and before the masses could bring all their needs. He needed to hear from the Father and commune with Him for He later said; “…the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, and He will show Him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.”  (John 5:19-20). He needed to know the agenda of Heaven for the day and be sure to stick to it.

Whether a morning or a night person, the consistency and fervency of a life of prayer is what determines the strength of your relationship with God. God has met me at all times of day and all times of night and I can attest to the fact that He controls the agenda and time of our meeting. He is waiting for us to commune with Him, night and day!