"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out… and there prayed.” Mark 1:35 (KJV)
Morning can feel like a sprint you didn’t train for. The alarm goes off, but someone is already calling your name. A child can’t find a shoe that was “right there.” Lunch still needs to be packed. Hair needs to be done. A permission slip is due. Somebody spilled juice. Somebody woke up grumpy. Somebody woke up sick. And while you’re trying to hold the house together, your phone is lighting up, texts, emails, calendar reminders, traffic alerts, like the world is collecting its payment before you’ve even taken a full breath.
And if you’re a working mother, the pressure doubles. You’re measuring minutes: get them dressed, get them fed, get them out the door, get yourself presentable, get to work on time. Even when you love your family deeply, the morning can drain you before the day has even started.
This is why Mark 1:35 matters so much. The verse doesn’t show Jesus praying on an easy day, it shows Him praying after a demanding one. The day before, Jesus taught with authority, healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, and met wave after wave of people who needed Him. Scripture says the whole city gathered at the door. Imagine the emotional weight of that: suffering in front of Him, expectations around Him, needs pressing in from every side. If anyone had a reason to collapse into sleep and “catch up later,” it was Jesus.
Yet the next morning, “a great while before day,” He got up and went out to pray.
That quiet choice teaches us something: spiritual strength is not found only in big moments, it’s built in hidden ones. Jesus didn’t wait for life to settle down before He sought the Father. He went early, before the demands began to speak louder than His assignment.
When the disciples found Him, they said, “Everyone is looking for You.” That line sounds like motherhood, doesn’t it? Everybody needs something. Everybody’s pulling. Everybody’s waiting. But Jesus returned from prayer with clarity. He didn’t get dragged by urgency, He moved by purpose. Prayer re-centered Him, and from that centered place He knew what to do next.
Elevating your morning doesn’t mean you get a perfect quiet house and a candle burning while birds sing. Sometimes “morning with God” is five minutes before your feet hit the floor. Sometimes it’s in the car before you walk into work. Sometimes it’s while the tea brews and the laundry hums. The goal isn’t a flawless routine, the goal is a first priority. A small anchor that keeps you from spending your whole day reacting.
Your morning is the foundation pour that sets up your day. If it’s rushed and uneven, everything built on it feels shaky. But when it’s set with intention, even a little, your day stands steadier.
What steals my peace first thing in the morning? What would change if God received my “first” before my family received my “best”?
Prayer:
Lord, meet me in the morning rush. When my hands are full and my mind is crowded, give me a steady spirit. Teach me to seek You early, not because life is easy, but because I need Your order. Give me wisdom for my children, patience for my home, and clarity for my work. Let Your presence be the first voice I hear so I don’t spend the day ruled by every other voice.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
