A desire for God which cannot break the chains of sleep is a weak thing and will do but little good for God after it has indulged itself fully. The desire for God that keeps so far behind the devil and the world at the beginning of the day will never catch up.

E. M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer (chapter ix)

Who or what we give the first minutes or the first hours of our mornings to reign supreme in our hearts.

If you wake up thinking about anything other than being with God, then He doesn’t have first place in your life.

Bounds writes that “the men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees.” And so it should be for each of us, to give God our first moments in prayer.

A sincere desire for God, for more of Him in our lives, comes first. When our desire is pure, God sanctifies our prayer times.

Check your motives.

Practical side

At your next writing session, pray and ask God to purify your motives and to check you if you’re using your prayer time to get things from Him. Write down whatever He shows you in your diary or prayer journal.

Prayer prompt

Reflect on the Lord Jesus’s words to ‘Watch and pray!’ Ask God to strengthen you and show you how to do so.

God bless you in your journey. Amen

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What truths did you learn about yourself when reading ‘Power Through Prayer? Share your thoughts on the book and how it has changed your life in the comments section below.