If Jesus Rose Early To Pray, Should You?

If Jesus rose early to pray, should you?

Mark 1:35 says that Jesus often arose early, while it was still dark, to pray.

Many pastors turn this verse into a legalistic system something like this...

"If Jesus had to get up early to pray each day, how much more do we need to get up early to pray?"

Talk about guilt and shame!

While at a conference as a college student with a mainstream campus ministry, I remember hearing a speaker say, "If the chains of sleep are greater than the burden to pray, then...

...Are you really a follower of Jesus?

...Do you really have a passion for Jesus?

...Are you really devoted to reaching the world for Jesus?"

After hearing this from this speaker and other pastors, I was motivated to get up early.

But eventually, this produced guilt and shame in my life.

I just couldn't do it.

I felt like a failure at being a Jesus follower...having a passion for Jesus...and reaching the world for Jesus.

Then grace came.

Grace is everything God has freely, fully, and forever done for us in Jesus to take our sinfulness upon himself and give us his righteousness (see Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians).

Grace is God's eternal forgiveness of our sins and internal cleansing from our sins through Jesus, his blood poured out from the cross (See Hebrews).

God's grace to us in Jesus (righteousness, forgiveness, cleansing) is simply received by faith in Jesus.

We then are brought close to God in a relationship as our loving Father.

When I understood these truths, I realized that knowing God is not about rising early before the sun arose so that I could demonstrate genuineness as a follower of Jesus, display a passion for Jesus, or be devoted to reaching the world for Jesus.

Knowing God is about God's grace freely, fully, and forever given to us in Jesus.

From grace comes the confidence that we are forgiven of all sins, cleansed from all sins, and righteous for all time.

From grace comes the confidence that we are loved, forgiven, and accepted by God as our Father.

Prayer is simply talking with our Father about whatever is on our hearts and minds.

Prayer is being open and honest with God about what we are thinking and feeling...about our ups and downs...highs and lows...good days and bad day...hopes and dreams...struggles and successes...doubts and decisions.

If someone enjoys getting up early in the morning to pray, then do so.

For others, prayer is a conversation with God as we go through the day.

For some, they may enjoy praying in the evening or at night.

Some may schedule times to pray, because that works for them.

Some may see scheduling times to pray as bondage for themselves.

From my understanding of prayer, prayer is a love relationship with God as Father established in grace that does not require one to arise early to prove something to God or to himself/herself.

Prayer is an awareness of the presence of God in my life all day long.

Sometimes I talk with God throughout the day, most of the time I simply am quiet...knowing God is with me, loves me, has forgiven me, and delights in me as his son.

Sometimes I take walks and talk with God...I did this morning.

Sometimes I take walks and talk with God at different times of the day.

I don't have a prayer schedule.

In one's relationship with God, if one would like to arise early to pray, then in grace they are free to do so.

I guess my point is to enjoy your relationship with God as your loving Father, and do not let anyone guilt you into a legalistic structure for prayer by misusing Mark 1:35.

Mark 1:35 was not written for conference speakers and pastors to misuse as "motivation to pray," fueled with guilt and shame.

Rather, Mark 1:35 was written by Mark describing what Jesus did many mornings.

We never read about Jesus guilting and shaming his disciples into praying the way he did so they could prove something.

Jesus simply enjoyed his relationship with his loving Father; and for him, arising early was something he did that you are not required to do.

Enjoy your relationship with God as your loving Father; and in this relationship, prayer for you may look different than how Jesus prayed, how I pray, how others pray, or even how the conference speaker and pastor prays.