Sermon Outlines

By Frederick F. Schwindt, Evangelist

CHRIST'S PRAYER HABIT

1. These words:
   1. Speak volumes about the prayer habit of the Son of man
   2. They reveal the great importance, our Lord attached to prayer
2. But, most of all:
   1. They reveal the great secret of His power in His life, and in His ministry during the day
   2. His early and late communion with His Father prepared Him for His work for humanity
   3. His prayer habit puts the personal prayer habit into new perspective worthy of our humble consideration and limitations

1. "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed"
   1. That was the way the Son of man began the day; He began it with prayer
   2. That was David's habit, "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up" - Ps. 5:3
   3. Peter, too, had his prayer devotions in the morning, "Peter went up upon the housetop to pray" - Acts 10:9
   4. Daniel began the day with prayer, he did it three times a day - Dan. 6:10
2. Why the morning hour - specially the early morning hour is so important:
   1. Rest in sleep has prepared us to commune with our heavenly Father
   2. Our mind is wide open to receive instruction from His for the task that awaits us during the day
   3. Said the Lord to ancient Israel, "As thy days, so shall thy strength be" - Deut. 33:25
   4. Too, early in the morning all is quiet, and one is more able to concentrate upon meditation and prayer - that is why our Lord went to a solitary place to pray - Mark 14:23; 1:35; 6:46; Luke 3:12

1. Prayer connects us with God:
   1. That being true, we must make living connection with God the first duty in the morning
   2. "Early will I seek Thee" said the Psalmist - Ps. 63:1; 78:34
   3. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" - Matt. 6:33
2. Making earnest prayer the first duty of the day:
   1. Indicates that we look to our heavenly Father as the source of our life and vitality to serve His cause among our fellow men
   2. "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help, my help cometh from the Lord which made the heaven and the earth" - Ps. 121:1-2
   3. Also, when we commune with our heavenly Father early in the morning, we reveal our love and attachment to Him
   4. Said the Psalmist, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon the earth that I desire beside Thee" - Ps. 73:25
   5. When that sentiment impels us to rise up early in the morning to seek the Lord in prayer, the prayer habit will have a solid and abiding foundation - it explains the consistency of the prayer life of David - Ps. 55:17; that was true of Daniel - Dan. 6:10
3. Said Jesus, "Come and follow Me" - Matt. 19:21:
   1. Let us ever begin the day by following the Master in the prayer habit - morning, noon, and evening
   2. There may be occasions when we shall do well to spend all night in prayer He did - Luke 6:12
   3. This we know from experience that when we make the prayer habit the foundation of our Christian experience - we will be spiritually healthy and vigorous; we will grow and be useful in God's service