How to be alert and awake in the morning

Devoted to your morning routines

Day 1:

It’s very early in the morning. I’m listening to the sounds of sleeping house members, but I cannot always have the privilege of sleeping as I want to because my prayer schedule is being set in heaven. Getting up during these early times trained me to become aligned and in sync with God’s timing and plans. I’m getting there! I PRESS ON!

Our newest member, a puppy, is asleep on my robe, but I have to wake it in exchange for my robe. Now I have him following me as I prepare to get down in prayer.

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving

Colossians 4:2

Day 2:

The power went off around 4 am this morning. Eskom issues in South Africa! My alarm went off half an hour later. We do not always realize the effect of an adversary or spiritual warfare throughout our days, but somehow something’s been happening yesterday! I am feeling a bit tired as I armor up, reading and declaring worship scripture and preparing my petitions.

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Sometimes it takes quite a while for me to put on the armor of God because I’ve learned to pray on each piece. The other reason for taking so long is the fact that I’m also putting on the armor for the body of Christ in our region. Yes! But in my first journaling season, Holy Spirit enlarged my prayer radar and prompt me to pray over our region and cloth them with the armor as well. Afterward, when I and my daughter had our journal recap( She is in Cape Town, studying) she told me that she did the same!

I switch on our gas to boil some water and while I wait I took our puppy outside and anoint and bless our home. With a strong cup of coffee, I sit down and listen to the chirping of the birds in the garden.

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

Day 3

Another day of power issues in South Africa. I was awakened by the sound of my alarm at 4h30 am and my husband telling me that the electricity is back on after 24 hours! I got up to report for service!

• This is the ideal biblical watch to command and set your day ahead with scripture declarations!

• This morning I felt a sudden urge to pray for the body of Christ and that the Lord provides for missionary work, their safety, and provision to help them to carry out the gospel for everyone to hear before the return of Christ.

During August I finish an important kingdom assignment of 19 months through the grace of God and needed a little rest. During this season I learned to pray in biblical watches and had to attend to the Holy Spirit’s call at any time. It was critical! Since October started I had to swing back into the routine for a new course and an assignment is awaiting me. Since I started using journaling as a tracker for my prayers, I unfolded out of fleshly measures of idleness and of going my own way.

I have signed up for a greater course!

…and I have received a schedule!

As a new creation in Christ, we have to come to terms with God’s word and search our hearts for any agenda contrary to God’s.

What to do when being awakens at an early hour.

Before, I usually kneel and pray, read scripture and write down a few verses and went back to bed. Other times, I prayed, wrote down my dreams, and declare scripture, and stayed up until I had to prepare for work, but I was not consistent in doing so. But now, God has prepared a table for me to bring my offer and where He is also invited to reveal Himself to me.

1. Anoint yourself and clothe yourself with the full armor of God.

When I am being awakened during the early hours of the morning, I am alert and prioritize my first activities. I usually make a cup of coffee first when I awake at 5 am, but earlier than that it’s usually straight into God’s business first because I know that He has something to share with me.

Clothing myself with the full armor of God became a crucial element of my prayer time. Most believers do not realize the utmost importance of the armor of God and especially do not know how to put it on. Most of all, they know about it but are ignorant about putting it on.

2. Follow with praise

Praising God during the early morning and entering His gates with thanksgiving invites the presence of God and sets our day in the victory mode.

O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.  So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift my hands in Your name.  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
Psalm 63:1-5

Praising God makes us joyful even though we feel that we do not have reason to be joyful. Powerful declarations of praise offered to God can change our mood and attitude.

3. Prayer schedules

Through the testimony of a mentee, I started to write scheduled -/or notice prayers over certain areas and I ask God to release the frequency of these prayers in a specific watch of the day or night. I will explain this in another post.

4. Write down instructions

We have a choice to whom we listen to, but the one we listen to will become our tour guide, our counselor, or mentor.

Since I started journaling I became intensely aware of the voice of the Holy Spirit and instructions became clearer. I’ve adopted a habit to be attentive the moment I woke from my sleep. When I settle down in prayer or afterward I take my book of engagement and write down the thoughts that came to my mind.

Remember, we are in a relationship with God through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, therefore God is also communicating with us.

5. Record your dreams

Most of us dream at night or during the early hours of the morning. A journal or a section in a binder can be used to record our dreams.

Getting up and report for heavens duty must become a priority, not just a habit.