MERRY CHRISTMAS!
The “Most Important Hour”
“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).
A couple of years ago, a dear friend of mine sent me a book called the “Most Important Hour.”
He told me “I think you will like it, if you give it a chance.” The pages of the “Most Important Hour” for the most part are blank. It’s a journal.
The mindset is simply to rise early in the morning (my time is between 4:45 a.m.-5:30 a.m.) and spend the first hour of the day with God. So, each morning, I follow the same routine with one goal in mind. To seek ye first the kingdom of God that day.
While I am enjoying my freshly brewed coffee, I open up my journal and I have an intimate conversation with God on what my blessings are. What I am thankful for and every morning, I write a letter to GOD. Sometimes it’s a paragraph, and sometimes it’s two pages.
The way I look at it was, if Jesus made this a common practice and discipline, I needed to do it as well. Mark 1:35 says “Jesus rose up very early in the morning, while it was still dark to pray in a solitary place, ” It is important to note the connection between Jesus’s ministry and his prayer life. In Mark 1:32-34, Jesus healed all the sick in the town and cast out all the demons. Mark tells us that this ministry took place after sunset.
Rather than sleeping in after this amazing ministry, Mark notes that Jesus got up before the sunrise in order to pray. I’m sure that Jesus was exhausted, but he knew that his strength came from God the Father, so his prayer time could not be compromised. It is clear that Jesus’s ability to minister powerfully came from as a result of his prayer time. These two are intimately connected. What we do first thing in the morning over time says a lot about our true priorities. In general, we have our best energy in the mornings, after we’ve just slept, and once we’re fully awake.
To what or to whom will we give the first fruits of each day’s time and attention? For me, it’s simply seeking first the kingdom of God each and every morning. So, our prayer this CHRISTmas season is that you get to know this God of ours closer than you ever have before.
So, join me first thing each morning. You will understand why it’s the most important hour of the day!
Merry CHRISTmas and God’s Blessings Always! Paul and Tonya Condry