Conviction

I just had to post this wonderfully convicting excerpt I read this morning. After my devotional time, before I started my prayer time, I read this from a book that I am thoroughly enjoying right now called, The Hole in our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung. In regards to prayer DeYoung quotes William Law (1686-1781) in A Serious call to a Devout and Holy Life:

"I take it for granted that every Christian, that is in health, is up early in the morning; for it is much more reasonable to suppose a person up early, because he is a Christian, than because he is a labourer, or a tradesman, or a servant, or has business that wants him...
Let this therefore teach us to conceive how odious we must appear in the sight of Heaven, if we are in bed, shut up in sleep and darkness, when we should be praising God; and are such slaves to drowsiness, as to neglect our devotions for it.
For if he is to be blamed as a slothful drone, that rather chooses the lazy indulgence of sleep, than to perform his proper share of worldly business; how much more is he to be reproached, what would rather lie folded up in bed, than be raising up his heart to God in acts of praise and adoration!...
Sleep is such a dull, stupid state of existence, that even amongst mere animals, we despise them most which are most drowsy.
He, therefore, that chooses to enlarge the slothful indulgence of sleep, rather than be early at his devotions to God, chooses the dullest refreshment of the body; before the highest, noblest employment of the soul; he chooses that state which is a reproach to mere animals, rather than exercise which is the glory of Angels."


That last paragraph was extremely convicting to me! Needless to say I had a great prayer time this morning :) All those who seek after our Lord, let this be an encouragement to you to seek constant communion with our Redeemer through the act of prayer.