Why Did Jesus Pray Early In The Morning? (Why You Should)

Our focus today is on the question: ‘Why did Jesus pray early in the morning?’

Every great saint in the Bible had the practice of waking up very early in the morning to pray.

See examples of Abraham (Genesis 19:27), Jacob (Genesis 28:18), Moses (Exodus 34:4), Joshua (Joshua 6:12), Gideon (Judges 7:1), Elkanah and family (1 Samuel 1:19), Samuel (1 Samuel 15:12), Job (Job 1:5), David (Psalm 57:8) and many more

So why should Jesus be different.

God in the Old Testament inspired the Patriarchs and prophets to rise up early in the morning to meet and commune with Him, take territories, do battles and executes His orders.

Don’t’ forget that Jesus is God. (See John 1:1)

He inspired this practice in the hearts of these saints to begin with seeing He created the universe and knew the power and importance of prayer hours. (See Acts 3:1)

So, Jesus couldn’t have been different.

He knew the power, importance and benefits of what He inspired the saints of old to do, so He too had to practice it when He became a man (the Word made flesh – John 1:14)

Jesus is a perfect example of obedience to principles and practices that He inspired in time and in eternity.

That’s why you can trust Him, He’s the obedient – model Son, perfect example in practice, of God and humanity united in one, carrying out the will of the Father on earth. (See Philippians 2:8 and 1 Peter 1:14 and John 1:14 and Hebrews 2:16)

That said.

Let’s now get to deal with our question more fully: ‘Why did Jesus pray early in the morning?’

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Why Did Jesus Pray Early In the Morning?

The following are the major reasons why Jesus prayed early in the morning (See Mark 1:45):

1. To Fellowship With The Father

Jesus needed and daily longed for communion and fellowship with the Father.

He knew that if He wanted to stay in top form spiritually and be at His cutting edge in ministry, He will need to stay in constant fellowship and communion with the Father.

And one way to doing that is through prayer, and quiet time.

Don’t forget that though Jesus was God yet He had left the very presence of the Father in heaven and was then on earth (John 16:28, NIV).

So to stay in touch with the Father (which was a necessary prerequisite to the success of His ministry and work on earth), He had to rise up early in the morning; a time where there are no distractions, a time where the dew of heaven is falling on the sons of men, a time when the sons of God (angels) are having their worship time in heaven, to join in the worship and fellowship of the Father.

Every great man and woman of God that has walked the sands of time knew the power and importance of being in constant fellowship with the Father.

And they will tell you, that early in the morning are the best times for such.

Plus, they will be quick to also tell you that without that constant fellowship with the Father, there will be no power on their lives and in the ministry.

They know that without constant fellowship with the Father they will lose relevance.

Jesus knew this, hence His practice of meeting with the Father very early in the morning before the day’s activities and distractions come. 

The Power Of Fellowshipping The Father

May be you don’t know, the glory of God that radiates through you is commensurate to your fellowship with the Father.

The power of God that works in you, life and ministry is directly proportional to the degree and intensity of your fellowship with the Father.

If you need power in life and ministry, you must learn the secret of fellowshipping the Father.

This is not praying, this is simply waiting in humility in the presence of God in worship, praises, meditation, quietly praying in the spirit and in contemplation of the greatness, glory, power and love of the Father in Jesus.

You must know that.

It is also a time to listen to your heart to hear what God will say to you.

Ministries are born in this place, questions and doubts are resolved in this place.

Jesus knew all these, so He caught on with the practice of rising up in the morning to meet with the Father, to enjoy divine cuddling and communion with God the Father.

Did you ever read how that God would come in the cool of the day in the Garden of Eden to take time out with Adam and Eve? (See Genesis 3:8, KJV)

That’s called fellowship with the Father.

Always best in the cool of the day.

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2. To Command The Day

Jesus rose up very early in the morning to pray to command the day.

Believe you me, the day is more spiritual than you think it is.

‘Life is spiritual,’ you must have heard that saying.

‘The spiritual controls the physical,’ you certainly must have also heard that too.

The day is super spiritual with volume of activities (angelic and demonic) that you can never see.

The traffic of transactions that take place and exchange hand daily in the realm of the spirit is overwhelming.

The only way to have it under control is to be up early in the morning before the day finally begins to order it and direct the course of the day in your favor.

See, the successes that Jesus had in His ministry were born in His prayer hours, most certainly in the mornings.

Jesus knew He had to conquer and take mastery of the day before the day begins.

He had to conquer demons, nature and circumstances in the realm of the spirit, in the place of prayer before the events will eventually happen.

That was why He could not afford to sleep till 5am in the morning. He could not.

Why You Must Be Up Early In The Morning To Pray Like Jesus

The scriptures say, that each day is sufficiently laden and loaded with its own evil. (See Matthew 6:34, NIV)

Why?

Because Satan, the evil genius is the god of this world and age. (See 2 Corinthians 4:4, NIV)

He goes about with organized crime to execute on a daily basis.

(Don’t forget that the spiritual realm is fully organized; good and evil are planned and organized by the two different forces that control the visible and the invisible world – God and Satan)

But unless, you get up early in the morning to take the charge of the day, to stay on top of it through the power of the Holy Ghost and prayer, you may be beaten and defeated each day.

See, Satan casts His evils and spells on each day, but the believer who knows to get up early in the morning to pray, command and take spiritual charge and control of the day will beat these evils and spells for himself and also for people he is in contact with (his ministry).

Demons will bow to you like they did Jesus because you have mastered them beforehand.

Circumstances will turn in your favor when you meet the day before it executes it orders.

Don’t forget this.

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3. To Receive Constant Instructions From God For The Day

Did you ever read in scriptures where Jesus said, I can of my own self nothing, as I hear, so I judge? (See John 5:30, KJV)

He was talking about executing the instructions He had received of the Father.

Each day, Jesus waited on God in the place of prayer, rising up early – a great while before dawn to hear what the Father will say to Him about the days’ work.

He knew He cannot do what the Father is not doing, and He must not say what the Father is not saying. (See John 5: 17-27) and (John 14:10)

It was in the place of prayer that the Father usually showed to Jesus what He was doing for the day, so the Son can execute.

Hm!!!

Jesus knew who God was healing, delivering, saving and He just goes about executing what the Father is doing only because He had been shown by the Father in the place of prayer.

That’s heavy.

Why You Must Follow Jesus’ Example

You see, all that Jesus said and did, He said and did because the Father was saying and doing those things at the moment.

Now, you can see why Jesus had a super life, 100 percent success in life and in ministry.

He knew what the Father was saying, what the Father was doing, where the Father was going and why the Father was doing, saying and going the way, and He just aligned with the Father and execute.

That’s how you should live your life.

Good enough, God has given you the Holy Spirit for this purpose.

With the help of the indwelling Spirit, as you rise up to pray in the morning, you will begin to see, perceive, hear and know what, where and the why of God for the day and for you.

Do you want to end the frustrations that come in life and ministry when you don’t seem to know and hear what God wants you do?

The secret is in fellowship with the Father early in the morning to hear instructions and receive guidance for your day, life, family, finances, marriage, ministry, etc. (See Proverbs 4:1, KJV)

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4. To Receive Strength From The Lord

Why did Jesus pray early in the morning?

To exchange weakness for strength with His Father.

Encumbered by a physical body, Jesus in His human form and earthly walk and work needed strength just like every true believer today.

And He had to depend on the Father for it.

Sure enough, Jesus knew that daily strength comes from waiting on the Lord daily. (See Isaiah 40:31, KJV)

Spiritual strength, mental strength, and even physical strength (given by the Spirit of Might) come by spending time with the Lord and are renewed too same way – spending time with the Father.

So, He had to wake up very early in the morning to spend time in His Father’s presence in prayer to receive and to renew His strength.

Yes, Jesus knew the secret of always drawing strength from spending time with the Father, and it was that strength that stayed Him through His ever busy daily work (ministry), through temptation and through His cruel and vicarious death on the cross.

Without His quality time with Lord, there was no way He would have been physically and mentally enabled to go through the sufferings of death that He went through. (See Luke 22: 43, KJV)

Why You Need Strength Too

The scriptures declare in Zechariah 4:6: …Not by might, nor by power, by by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.

All you do for the Lord, you do by His strength.

You need divine strength to live daily for the Lord, to stand in faith, to fulfil your ministry, to achieve for God.

This strength comes from waiting on the Lord.

Even your faith life is as robust and powerful as your prayer life, so that tells you something: the measure of the faith power you exhibit daily in your walk with God is directly proportional to your prayer life.

It is simple, you cannot walk with God in your own strength, you cannot succeed with life and ministry in your own strength and ability, you need the strength of the Almighty all the way.

One sure way to getting it, is by waiting on the Lord, spending quality time in His presence.

This way, your weakness is exchanged for His strength. (See 2 Corinthians 13:4)

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Final Word

Why did Jesus pray early in the morning?

For so much and more.

But we believe that the answers given above are sufficient to convince you to waking up early in the morning to pray.

There may be more and should be more.

But the 3 above are chief among the many, good enough reasons for you to take your prayer life and time serious.

We are called to be like Jesus. (See John 13:15 and 1 Peter 2:21)

He is your model and example of life and ministry.

Be like Christ.

God bless you.      

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