Do it First Thing in the Morning

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35 NIV

In a story titled “Here’s what you can learn from a mom of three who runs a half-marathon a day” published Monday, it was reported that, in order to keep her 13.1 mile daily run streak going, Helen Ryvar goes through the same routine every night. She checks the weather forecast, lays out her running clothes, puts her running shoes by the front door, charges her cellphone and flashlight, and sets the alarm for 4 a.m. By 4:15 a.m., she’s out the door — rain or shine. The key to her success, Ryvar says, is “running at the same time every day — in her case, before her kids wake up.” Experts think the same.“The key is to find some protected time so it is just part of the routine,” said Dr. Michael J. Joyner, an expert on human performance and exercise at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. “This is why many habitual exercisers go first thing in the morning.”

And you know, when it comes to learning something important about making ‘protected time’ a part of our routines, you and I would do well to consider the example that Jesus set when He walked among us in the flesh. Time and again “very early in the morning, while it was still dark,” Jesus would retreat to a solitary place to spend alone time with the Father before starting the day — something that would pay dividends later as Jesus tirelessly went about His day ministering to the lost, filled with the abounding energy and needed direction from His time spent in prayer. The great missionary Hudson Taylor was also said to be a man of prayer who prioritized time alone with the Father. His common practice was to spend two hours in Bible reading and prayer, often between 2 and 4am, when he would be undisturbed. He did this even when he was traveling and staying in crowded rooms partitioned by a curtain.

So if you want to run the spiritual race with endurance (and I hope you do), follow the example of Jesus my friend. Getting up early might be a struggle at first, but I promise that you’ll reap benefits beyond what you can ever imagine — benefits so great that you’ll soon be thankful that you’ve made a habit of arising “very early in the morning” before anything or anyone distracts you. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the example of Jesus to follow. Throughout time, it’s clear that the most successful Christians prioritized time with You above all else and did whatever it took to meet with You first. Help us to do the same Lord, so that we can run the spiritual race with all confidence and endurance. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!