We Get More Done By 6am Than Most People Get Done All Day

“We get more done by 6am than most people get done all day” is a phrase that has stuck with me. I came across that thought again as I read the following passage in Mark:

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.
(Mark 1:35-39 NKJV)

The disciples came to Jesus and they said that everyone was looking for Him. The disciples said that there was lots to get done. The people had needs and so they needed Jesus to be there. But they found Jesus somewhere alone praying. What Simon and the others did not know is that Jesus had been praying since very early in the morning.

I suspect Jesus woke up around 4am and was praying until Simon came around breakfast time – 6am or so. I also suspect that food was the reason for Simon’s search. Thousands were probably showing up and Simon realized that he could not catch enough fish for these people. But Jesus informs Simon that the agenda has changed. They will need to go into the next town and meet other kinds of people. Why did Jesus make these new plans? Because He received word from the Father. He had worked with His Father very early in the morning.

This event reminds me of my own experience. Following September 11th, I became very patriotic and I thought that I should consider going into the military. I walked into the Army recruiter’s office in Victoria, Texas one morning. He pointed me to the Navy recruiter and said that they were looking for Baptist pastors. So the Navy recruiter took down some information and scheduled an appointment for me at the Navy hospital in Corpus Christi for my medical check.

Later that week, the recruiter drove me down to the hospital and put me up in a hotel next to the place. The military used this hotel to house new recruits often, and so there was this special arrangement for breakfast. They woke me up at 4:45am and told me to go eat breakfast. Then I was shuffled to the hospital next door at 5:30am. They took me into a waiting room with other people. Because I was an officer candidate, they gave me the privilege of first-service. They put me in the front of the line. I go into the next room for the interview.

I made a comment to the officer there that boy it was early and there were lots of people here. He said to me: “We get more done here by 6am than most people get done all day.” (Remember that is the phrase that I said stuck with me.) He meant that the military in its work accomplished more by sunrise than most people accomplished by sunset. This is what I think happened with the prayer time of Jesus. He got more done in prayer before the others woke up than these other people would get done all day without prayer.

I think Simon learned that lesson that morning. Later in Acts 6, he would say that the apostles’ duty was the study of the word and prayer. Prayer will help you get more done, especially when you start your day first with prayer.

Other Posts:

How My Prayers Can Lead to Thankfulness

The Benefits of Prayer