Night-Time Awakenings

I recall that the days of caring for my mother during her terminal illness were too full to allow for those blocks of time I needed to be alone with the Lord. Before going to sleep at night, I would often say, "Please, Jesus, wake me up tonight to spend time with You." And He would awaken me so that I was surprisingly wide-awake.

He continues to do that. The phone doesn't ring between 2 and 4 a.m. and distractions are minimal. The time is God's, and I have found myself looking forward to going to bed in anticipation of those nighttime awakenings.

The time we meet with God will not be set in concrete for our entire lives. A disciplined life allows flexibility, and God will give us grace to find the time that is right.

Our efforts to find a time and place where we can listen to God without distractions will tell something of the intensity of our desire to hear Him. Many experienced Christians advise us to give God the best time of our day, not the dregs. Although some of us are "morning persons" and some are "night owls," most of us do better if we start our day with at least some nourishment. Similarly, feeding on a Word from God will provide strength for the day ahead.

God's perfect ways are as varied as His people. He will give us the time He wants to meet us that best fits us and our schedules.

Thank You, Jesus, for showing me the right time to meet with You.

"The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed." (Isaiah 50:4).