(January 18, 2025) A blessed believer humbly recalls a meaningful search discovering the Father…

How can I be a true friend of the Lord and how can I know the Father better, I wondered? What can I do to show the Lord that I love Him, and want to make Him smile, delight His heart? How can I walk in His invisible footsteps?

Such thoughts were heavy on my heart!

Designation
Some paths were only meant for Him, but He has shown us one way to commune with the Father that any of us can follow— if, of course, you too feel led as I was. Allow me to share my journey—

‘What better life is there than the one that He has designed for us to have?’ I thought, and believed it was possible to find that way, that it has been exemplified for us by the Lord Himself.

Meeting with my Lord is something I was to  learn from studying scripture— discovering an important aspect of Jesus’ life, one I began putting into practice to walk with Him…

Decision
I learned that Jesus rose very early in the morning, while it was still dark to be alone with the Father (Mark 1:35) and I decided to do the same.

It was very challenging to wake up at 4:30 or 5:00am in the cold wintery Victorian months but I forced myself to ‘get up!’ I would not allow my flesh to dictate the terms— my spirit was determined to grow in new ways. (I was encouraged in recalling that the Lord had already worked a miracle in my life and turned my wine into water! With His help I had chosen to give up alcohol and pursue the Father a few months earlier).

Pushing myself out of bed and making my way to the shower in those days was a monumental feat, but I was able to do it with the help of the Holy Spirit. This habit of waking in the darkness of morning began about four years ago and I really believe it was the turning point of my spiritual growth.

For many months I had been completely sick of myself and the way I was living, so now I decided to give my will to the Father and said simply, ‘Please, Lord, I give you my will. I want to do your will from now on.’ That was the turning point and soon after that I began to wake easily and found a friend in the morning darkness…

Determination
A determined Jesus went off to a quiet place to be with the Father and that’s what I did. I sat in the dark and simply listened. I did not read my Bible (at that time, in the darkness), nor play any background sounds on Spotify! I opened the window and sat in the dark in a comfortable spot, wrapped in a wool blanket and warm cup of tea in hand, closed my eyes determined to listen.

What I heard was so lovely… silence, leaves rustling, silence. I became as still as possible, my mind seemingly awake but was so relaxed. Often 30 to 45 minutes would slip by and then I’d begin to hear the birds awaken into their own choir of worship.

The sounds of the morning and the grey light against my eyelids was something I’d never experienced before!

When I seemed to be thinking instead of listening, I would rehearse The Father’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) in my mind very slowly, so as to hear every word clearly. This seemed to centre me back into that place of stillness that was to become my favourite part of the day. I liken it to the time of being inside my mother’s womb; instead I was in the bosom of my Father in the womb of the morning.

Desire
I can now understand Jesus, just a bit more, by following Him in this way. All the earth is still, and those ‘moments of holy darkness’ are mine and the Father’s. There’s no one to minister to, no work to be done, all is still and it’s the Father and me.

Some days I struggle to wake up early, but I think, ‘Is this a sacrifice that I can bring?’ Yes it is and I can! And I find my friend in the darkness.

My life is so comfortable and plenty. My cup overflows. This the one area that I can bring before the Lord and I believe it puts a smile on His face to see this person humbly seeking Him. Now I know that following Jesus’ Mark 1:35 example is not possible for everyone— reading God’s word will reveal other ways… for example loving one’s neighbour, sharing the gospel.

As for me, I continue to delight myself in the Father. I know that His eyes roam the whole world— this dark world, which needs His light— to find those whose whole heart is devoted to Him. I definitely want to be such a person, one has found a friend in the darkness!

Can I encourage you too?

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Ed. Note: Feeling empty? Free printable download: Empty Tract, All on One Page (colour) 
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