So we all have heard the phrase, “The EARLY BIRD gets the worm!” Honestly, I hated that statement because I am a self-proclaimed sleeper. Seriously, I could nap everyday. I laugh at the thought of a 15-min, 30-min, even an hour nap…just a tease of a good nap. I usually nap for AT LEAST 2 hours and if I can’t get that, I just won’t take a nap because I will literally wake up angry…it’s true. I am NOT a morning person and I have accepted that about myself.

I say all of this just to paint the picture of how I value my sleep! But with all of that being said, I have found the value of rising early in the morning. You will hear a lot of people state that your time with God is best in the morning and for years, I fought that notion. But about two years ago, I relented and submitted to the thought because, for me, it is my best time for prayer and digging into the word of God. What really sold me on it was first examining scripture:

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35 ESV

“She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.” Proverbs 31:15 NLT

If you notice in Mark, this is one occasion where we see Jesus rising early to have time with God. We know how busy his 3 year ministry was and I can only gather that this time served as clarity and direction for him. In Proverbs, we read about the Proverbs 31 woman. She was getting up before everyone in her household, even her servant girls. She did this in order to plan out the affairs for the house and her workers.

These scriptures coupled with knowing my tendencies convicted me to get up early. What do you mean your tendencies, Kim? I’m glad you asked! Because I hate getting up in the morning, I would tell myself, ‘You can always read after work, when the kids go to bed.’ Well, that time would come and I would be so exhausted or distracted or unmotivated that more times than I would like to admit, I would NOT have time with God. Something had to give! Now I am not perfect with this rising early. There are definitely times when that snooze button gets hit MULTIPLE times but the goal is to wake up at 5 am Monday-Friday and 6:30 am on the weekends. I tend to make my coffee and drink water and then I go to my office and start.

I will have to admit…my mind is clearer and I am not only able to pray better, retain scripture better, but prioritize my day better. Not to mention because I am a wife and mother, it helps tremendously to get up before everyone else before the rat race begins. I find that if I don’t get up before my family, I’m chasing my tail the rest of the morning…and ain’t nobody got time for that! Anywho, do any of you guys rise early and if you do, what made you start?