Start Your Day With God

January 31, 2020

In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” Mark 1:35-38

BE FRUITFUL NOT BUSY. Jesus only did what He saw His Father do. How did He know what God did? Jesus spent time with Him. Sometimes you can get distracted by too many opportunities and give your attention to the loudest or most urgent thing. But because Jesus took time to seek God, He received direction to know what He was supposed to do instead of what others thought He should do.

FRESH START. When you are in a transition like the beginning of a new year and you crave a fresh surge of fruitfulness, Mark 1:35 is a credible pattern you can follow. This verse is saying that Jesus had to get alone with God and then goes on to show that He got great results. We can too.

SEIZE THE MOMENT. Capitalize on alone time with God before the emails pour in, before the phones start ringing, before you have to get out in traffic. Choose some tools to help you: a Bible reading plan, a daily devotional, a Bible promise book—or read just a Proverb a day. It’s not just for highly self-disciplined or contemplative personalities—it’s for every person. There is no substitute for intentional time with God. The results are profound.

Pray this prayer:
God, I commit to spending time with You at the start of every day. I resolve to sensitize myself to hear Your voice and follow Your purpose. I thank You, God, that You will get me where I need to be when I need to be there and I’ll avoid wrong contacts and I will make the right connections. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

fruit•ful, adj.
Yielding or producing fruit. Conducive to an abundant yield. Abundantly productive.

God bless you,
Pastor Jeff

Copyright © 2020 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. “Fruitful.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2020.