“The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees.” This quote from E.M. Bounds would work perfectly well without the word “early.” It would then say, “The men who have done the most for God in this world have been on their knees.” Taken that way, it would cause us to reflect on the close connection between prayer and a biblical view of productivity—doing good for others to the glory of God. We could then point to the prayer habits of Jesus or the apostle Paul, both of whom prayed constantly and did so much for God in this world.
But Bounds did include the word “early” because he wanted to call Christians not only to pray, but to make prayer the day’s first priority. Here is how he continues his thought: “He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day.”
While the Bible does not command we pray early in the day, doing so is certainly the one sure way to ensure that life’s busyness does not displace prayer. Bounds adds, “If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day.”
So I suppose it is worth asking: In what way does our prayer life reflect our priorities? And does the manner in which we pray prove that we have made it an especially high priority?
