The Morning Watch

A compilation


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.—E. M. Bounds

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I ought to pray before seeing any one … Christ arose before day and went into a solitary place. David says: “Early will I seek thee”… 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

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In order to grow in grace, we must be much alone. It is not in society that the soul grows most vigorously. In one single quiet hour of prayer it will often make more progress than in days of company with others. It is in the desert that the dew falls freshest and the air is purest.—Andrew Bonar

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George Williams was 23 years old when he started the YMCA. At 73 he was knighted by Queen Victoria. Another young man in the YMCA movement, John R. Mott, was, at age 30, one of the founders of the World Christian Student Federation. At 81 he received the Nobel Peace Prize.

George and John both had a prayer practice that in part powered their success. That practice was the foundational practice that started the YMCA movement. John Mott wrote of that practice in a short pamphlet entitled The Morning Watch.

Simply stated, the morning watch is half an hour at the start of the day in prayer and Bible study. It is amazingly similar to the ancient Christian spirituality practice called Lectio Divina, Sacred (or Holy) Reading.

Here's what Mott says about this practice:

• The keeping of the morning watch is the secret of the largest and most enduring achievement in life and in service.

• The morning watch prepares us for the day's conflict.

• Many persons begin with a few moments of prayer, follow this with a season of Bible study, then spend some time in meditation, and close with special prayer.

• After praying and during Bible study, it is well to pause and listen to what the Lord shall say.

Without doubt our failure to prevail with man and against evil in the world during the day is too often due to our more fundamental failure to prevail with God at the beginning of the day. When Miss Havergal was asked to explain why the church does not accomplish more, she attributed it to the fact that Christians are not spending the first hour of the day alone with God.

Let us never forget the vital truth expressed by Faber that “the supernatural value of our actions depends upon the degree of our union with God at the time we do them.” Therefore, if our lives and words and acts throughout the busy day are to possess supernatural value, we must take the earliest opportunity in the day to establish a vital and complete union with God. Why delay the forming of this union a single hour? Why be satisfied with having man work a part of the day if the energy of God may be manifested all the hours of the day?

Tradition teaches that the observance of the morning watch was widely prevalent among the early Christians. Rev. Webb-Peploe has said that “all the great saints have been early risers,” and he might have added that they rose early primarily to begin the day with unhurried communion with God. There come to mind such men as Rutherford, McCheyne and Andrew Bonar, Wesley and Whitefield, David Brainerd and Henry Martyn, George Mueller and Hudson Taylor.

Next to receiving Christ as our Savior, and claiming the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we know of no act attended with larger good to ourselves or to others than the formation of an undiscourageable resolution to keep the morning watch. If our acceptance of Christ as Lord and Master was whole-hearted, if our prayer for and claiming of the Holy Spirit to guide and control was sincere, surely there can be no thought of not giving God each day sufficient time, our very best time, for receiving and increasing in us what is indispensable to a life for Christ's glory and in His service.—Author unknown1

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If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.—Martin Luther

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He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.—John Bunyan

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Ten minutes spent in the presence of Christ every day, aye, two minutes, will make the whole day different.—Henry Drummond

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The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day. It is a blessed baptism which gives the first waking thoughts into the bosom of God.—Henry Ward Beecher

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Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.—Daniel Handler

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Meeting with God is not an appointment on a clock but an appointment in your heart.—Warren Wiersbe

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When you awoke from sleep this morning,
Though the hour was rather late,
Did you stop to speak with Jesus,
And His benediction wait?
Did you thank Him for His mercy,
For His care through all the night,
That no evil had befallen,
That no tears now dim your sight?

Did you ask Him for the blessing
Of His presence through the day,
For His leading safely onward,
For His guiding, lest you stray?
Did you tell Him that you'd gladly
Go wherever He would lead;
That you'd try to do His bidding,
Helping every soul in need?

If you go without these blessings
As you start another day,
Be assured your strength will fail you,
And you'll faint along the way.
Oh, live closer to the Master;
For unless you're very near,
Words of love He whispers to you
Will not reach your listening ear.—Author unknown

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The great revival among British college students (started largely by John R. Mott) in the late 19th century began with those historic words: “Remember the morning watch!” So we need to tune ourselves up at the start of each day as we remember the morning watch.

If Jesus is really in first place in our lives, we ought to give Him the first part of our day. We are to seek His kingdom first.2 Doctors tell us that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. It often determines our energy levels, alertness, and even moods for the day. Likewise, we need a “spiritual breakfast” to start our day off right.

Finally, in the morning our minds are uncluttered from the day’s activities. Our thoughts are fresh, we’re rested, tensions have not yet come on us, and it’s usually the quietest time. One mother sets her alarm clock for 4 a.m., has her quiet time, goes back to bed, and then rises when everyone else in the household gets up. Her explanation is that with kids around the house all day, early morning is the only time when it’s quiet and she can be alone with God. It works for her; you need to select a time that will work for you.—Rick Warren


Compiled by Philip Martin. Published on Anchor April 2012.TFI


1 Credited to both Andrew Murray and John Mott.
2 Matthew 6:33.