Several years ago the Lord began waking me up at 4:30 a.m. to spend time with Him. He desires to spend quality time with His people. His bride.

Once the day gets started, there is rarely a stopping place to break away and spend time basking in His Presence. The Word tells us to pray without ceasing. We should have a prayer in our hearts and on our lips at any given time throughout the day. Yet, to sit at His feet requires pulling away from other things. Hence the reason God likes to wake us up to spend that quality time before our days begin.

Since those 4:30 a.m. training sessions, the Lord and I have reached a mutually agreeable time that we like to meet. That is at 6:00 a.m. I have become very serious about this spiritual discipline…most of the time. Winter seems to be more difficult, especially when it is cold and wet outside, or when I am extra fatigued from a busy schedule or sickness. This morning was all of the above.

I woke up, rolled over and looked at the clock. 5:30 a.m. I mentally calculated how much time I still had to sleep. Thirty more minutes. On the heels of that thought came the nudge of the Holy Ghost that assured me if I went back to sleep, I would likely sleep past my 6:00 wake up time. These were my thoughts as I sunk back down into the hazy mist of slumber.

That’s when the angel came. In that fuzzy place between awake and asleep. The visit was neither imagination, nor a dream. My eyes were closed, yet I saw it come rapidly face to face with me. I’m not sure if it flew, as I saw no wings, but only knew that it rushed up to my face. I also say “it” because the face seemed neither male nor female. This could be due to its close proximity to my face.

The angel said clearly, “You know you should get up. Come on!,” and motioned urgently with its hand to follow. Just as fast, it was gone. It was as real as a breath expelled from my body.

In the two seconds that I took to consider these instructions, I slipped back into slumber. When I woke up again, it was almost 7:00 a.m., and time to get up to get ready for Church.

I knew I had missed a great opportunity to be with the Lord. He had desired so much to spend time with me, that He sent His angel messenger to wake me. Two seconds of hesitation robbed me of something precious.

In the few moments I had, I knelt and repented that I hadn’t come earlier. When I got to prayer meeting at church, I spent more time repenting. I know absolutely that I’m forgiven, but whatever the Lord wanted to share with me is either forfeited, or at least delayed.

The Spirit of the Lord was so precious during worship service, for which I’m thankful. I just wonder what might have happened if I had met with the Lord when He first shook me awake that morning. What blessing might He still be waiting to pour out when intercession has built a wall of petitions high enough to reach His Throne? What healing? What deliverance? What victory?

In my prayer of repentance, I asked the Lord to help me have the withal to recognize and respond immediately at the unction of the Holy Ghost. The Word says to be instant in season and out of season. This morning was definitely a cold, wet winter season that I needed to be instant in. I’m sure there will be upcoming opportunities to see if I learned the lesson.

May you be blessed by Sis. Mickey Mangun (The Pentecostals Of Alexandria) singing, “I Miss My Time With You.”

INVITATION TO SHARE YOUR STORY:

– Do you and God have a mutually agreed upon meeting time and place?

– Have you ever missed a special time or blessing with God because you hesitated to act?

-What spiritual discipline do you have the most trouble mastering?

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