Seek God Early

“O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You” (Psalm 63:1 NKJV).

One of the first prayer groups God led me to was a Tuesday, 5:30 a.m. meeting with the pastor’s wife and a small group of ladies, at their home. Yes, that was a.m., not p.m. I could not have imagined being anywhere at 5:30 a.m., except tucked away cozy and warm in my bed!

Yet again, I wondered why God would ask me to do something that didn’t match my body rhythm or ability. Some are early risers- that was not me. But, God has a way of stretching us to take the steps needed to accomplish His will for our lives.

I started by setting the alarm for 5:00 a.m., and incredibly, God woke me before the alarm went off! There were mornings when I overslept and my husband tapped me on the shoulder at 5:15 a.m. saying, “Are you going to the prayer meeting?”

God always made a way for me to get there when He wanted me to go. I was out of the house in 10 minutes. I would gingerly crank up the car, hoping I didn’t wake neighbors at 5:15 in the morning. It seemed surreal. Driving in the dark, not fully awake, the streets were quiet and the headlights broke through the fog on winter mornings.

As I’d pull into their driveway, I could see the warm glow of the living room lamps, knowing there were ladies who had faithfully gotten up before dawn to pray for the church, families and our country. The door was always unlocked and everyone waited to see who would turn the corner from the kitchen into the living room. Sometimes, it was a real surprise! God brought individuals you didn’t expect or hadn’t seen in a while. One thing you could expect was the warm greeting you got as you joined the group of 4-5 ladies who were fulfilling their purpose and changing the lives of those close to them and those very far away.

My greatest joy was in listening to these veteran prayers who really knew God. Their prayers were so thorough and covered everything you could imagine. Love and blessings flowed from their lips. To say I felt inadequate would be an understatement. They were extremely gracious and kind. They praised God in a way that only someone who had a personal relationship with Him would know how to do.

I didn’t have the beautiful words they spoke so effortlessly or the relationship with God, yet, that they seemed to enjoy. I remember reading a psalm during our prayer time, in an attempt to praise God. I really wanted to know God the way they did. Just like all relationships, it takes time- intentionally spending time with God throughout the day.

They were careful to record prayer requests in journals, pray about them and check on how God had answered in the next meeting. Their trust and faith in God were evident- believing He could do anything and trusting He would do what was right. They spread joy, love, and kindness to each other and offered compassion. There was a sense of peace and calmness about them that reassured you God is sovereign and loves you very much.

I am so grateful for their friendship and prayers over the years. God eventually led my husband and me to another church and after many years of their faithful service, God’s season for the early morning group meeting came to an end. I am confident their rich conversations with God will continue, forever.

Memories of the warmth, cozy couches and the love of special women who love God and loved me always brings a smile. Why wouldn’t you get out of bed in the early hours to experience that? It was a gift from God.

God may give us something to do that we don’t know how to do that will require we change our sleep patterns to train for it. It’s not always easy, but it has incredible rewards.

It just occurred to me that God could have put me in a prayer group that met later in the day, instead of before dawn. However, I would not have experienced the discipline these women had to put their own comfort aside to honor God with the first fruits of their day. There’s nothing like the quiet you experience before dawn. There’s an expectation that the sun will rise, the birds will sing and God will speak.

They, along with others, started meeting at the church once a week, in the afternoon. God prompted me to join them last year to thank them for how they had affected my life and to encourage them for being the godly women they are. I am so grateful for the way they modeled Jesus to me.

Did I mention how humble they are, too? You can always count on them showing a greater interest in others than speaking about themselves. And, they were always quick to pray for you. Is that because they spend time with Jesus? I think so.

Is God asking you to do something that you think is impossible? Look for the ways He divinely helps. Is it uncomfortable and humbling? Could it be the Holy Spirit is calling you into your purpose?

Rise and see the goodness of God!

God never sleeps or slumbers, as Psalm 121:1-8 says,

“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
² My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
³ He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
⁵ The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
⁶ The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
⁷ The Lord will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
⁸ The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever” (NASB).

It’s all about Jesus! To God be the glory!
Blessings and love, Gayle

© 2018 Gayle Holcomb