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From Power Through Prayer by E. M. Bounds

“I ought to pray before seeing any one. Often when I sleep long, or meet with others early, it is eleven or twelve o’clock before I begin secret prayer. This is a wretched system. It is unscriptural. Christ arose before day and went into a solitary place. David says: ‘Early will I seek thee’; ‘Thou shalt early hear my voice.’ Family prayer loses much of its power and sweetness, and I can do no good to those who come to seek from me. The conscience feels guilty, the soul unfed, the lamp not trimmed. Then when in secret prayer the soul is often out of tune, I feel it is far better to begin with God — to see his face first, to get my soul near him before it is near another.” – Robert Murray McCheyne

THE men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. 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. 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.

Behind this early rising and early praying is the ardent desire which presses us into this pursuit after God. Morning listlessness is the index to a listless heart. The heart which is behindhand in seeking God in the morning has lost its relish for God. David’s heart was ardent after God. He hungered and thirsted after God, and so he sought God early, before daylight. The bed and sleep could not chain his soul in its eagerness after God. Christ longed for communion with God; and so, rising a great while before day, he would go out into the mountain to pray. The disciples, when fully awake and ashamed of their indulgence, would know where to find him. We might go through the list of men who have mightily impressed the world for God, and we would find them early after God.

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.

It is not simply the getting up that puts men to the front and makes them captain generals in God’s hosts, but it is the ardent desire which stirs and breaks all self-indulgent chains. But the getting up gives vent, increase, and strength to the desire. If they had lain in bed and indulged themselves, the desire would have been quenched. The desire aroused them and put them on the stretch for God, and this heeding and acting on the call gave their faith its grasp on God and gave to their hearts the sweetest and fullest revelation of God, and this strength of faith and fullness of revelation made them saints by eminence, and the halo of their sainthood has come down to us, and we have entered on the enjoyment of their conquests. But we take our fill in enjoyment, and not in productions. We build their tombs and write their epitaphs, but are careful not to follow their examples.

We need a generation of preachers who seek God and seek him early, who give the freshness and dew of effort to God, and secure in return the freshness and fullness of his power that he may be as the dew to them, full of gladness and strength, through all the heat and labor of the day. Our laziness after God is our crying sin. The children of this world are far wiser than we. They are at it early and late. We do not seek God with ardor and diligence. No man gets God who does not follow hard after him, and no soul follows hard after God who is not after him in early morn.

More from EM Bounds |

Support | STORE | Podcasts | Christology |  Be Ready in the Morning [podcast]The Sure Mercies of David [podcast]That Repentance and Remission of Sins should be Preached [podcast] | At His Feet | Modern ChurchPeace with God

PrayerMaking Peace with God – Before it’s too late | The Return of Christ

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Abiding

Abiding Under the Shadow of the Almighty [podcast]


Lord, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. 16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart:  Jeremiah 15:15-16

Dwelling “in the secret place of the most High”

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” Psalms 91:1-2

“In the secret place of the Most High – Spoken probably in reference to the Holy of holies. He who enters legitimately there shall be covered with the cloud of God’s glory – the protection of the all-sufficient God. This was the privilege of the high priest only, under the law: but under the new covenant all believers in Christ have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus; and those who thus enter are safe from every evil.” Adam Clarke

“[Psalms] 91:1, 2 Jesus is the One who in a preeminent way dwelt in the secret place of the Most High, and abode under the shadow of the Almighty. There never was a life like His. He lived in absolute, unbroken fellowship with God, His Father. He never acted in self-will but did only those things that the Father directed. Though He was perfect God, He was also perfect Man, and He lived His life on earth in utter and complete dependence on God. Without equivocation He could look up and say, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him I will trust.” Believer’s Bible Commentary

Support | STORE | Podcasts | Jail/Prison MinistryMexico Mission here | All Ministry Updates | The Return of ChristStewardshipApostate Modern Church Exposed | Beware of the BUZZ WORD Bandits [podcast] | Preach the WordWolves Exposed | Giving | Fellowship | Christology = the Study of Christ

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Abiding

The Warnings of the Book of Jude [podcast]

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Abiding

Attend to My Words [podcast]


IF THE WORD isn’t flowing into you daily, you are falling away. Flood and fuel your heart and mind and body with the pure, the holy light of God’s Word daily and you will never famish! All darkness will be vanquished (Psalms 119:130). All who have been saved and yet aren’t in God’s Word and prayer daily – have rejected Christ, with no exception. Re-turn to the LORD prodigal. There’s no good outside of Christ the KING.

“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” Psalms 119:130

ALL who are not in God’s written Word daily are not hearing from God, do not have God’s wisdom and direction, and are walking in darkness – 100%.

The feeding of Christ’s flock would integrally involve exhorting them to diligently study and walk in God’s Word themselves, daily (John 21:15-17). Isn’t this exactly what the apostle Paul told Timothy to do? Yes. He told his understudy to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

One of the ways we know who the false ministers are, is that they want people dependent on THEM, not God. So, they don’t constantly exhort the people to get into God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures, for themselves. Run.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8 

“He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. … My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:4, 20-23

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16

“Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” Job 23:12

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16

“Over the last 5-10 years I can see where He has done this for me already, but the problem is …. it’s not enough! I want even more! One hour of study and prayer in the morning is not enough!” Christine

Support | STORE | PodcastsBecause You Care Page | The Greatest of these is CharityBe Ready in the Morning [podcast]The Sure Mercies of David [podcast]That Repentance and Remission of Sins should be Preached [podcast]At His Feet | Prepared to be Used of God  | Waste | Stewardship | GivingLet Him be Your Fear [podcast]Why We Need Not Fear DeathFear Not Little Flock | The Glorious Church Jesus is Returning For [podcast]

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