Scripture teaches about first fruits. Stephen Covey teaches the concept of first things first in his best selling book, 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. The latter is a principle I’ve tried to follow over the past thirty years when prioritizing my tasks, roles, and time management. The former came home to me last summer.
Share your prayer first thing in the morning
One day when I was praying, the Lord asked me to consider sharing our personal prayer time on Facebook – live. Really? I questioned Him. Really.
So the next day, I obeyed and went outside our townhome, sat with my phone facing the sunrise about to occur, and turned on the Live post feed in my Facebook account. Even if no one else was interested in my prayer time, I reasoned that enjoying the sunrise would be a bonus for those who like to sleep late.
The Holy Spirit whispers: “Do it again.”
The next day, I sensed the Lord asking me to do the same thing again. Really? I thought it was a one-shot deal? Silence.
After that, I learned it was my Lord’s will for me to share my prayers, reading the psalms and Scripture reading of daily Mass aloud. How did I know it was His request? When you spend enough time with a person, you become attuned to how they walk and talk, how they sneeze, and what their reactions sound like. In my memoir, God’s Patient Pursuit of My Soul, you’ll find a few examples of this from my life. I knew enough to recognize God’s voice speaking in my heart. The hard part comes when you choose to act on it or ignore it.
Do you hold back your first fruits?
Once again, I obeyed even though it felt peculiar to be doing my private prayers in public. Heading out for another sunrise, I brought with me a commentary for reference. I eventually named this broadcast First Fruits because that’s how I view my early morning prayer time: offering my first fruits of each day–my precious time–with an open heart to love and serve the Lord.
Where First Fruits Comes From
First fruits is referenced in the Old Testament…
Exodus 23:19a: “The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God…and the New Testament when The Apostle Paul also referred to Jesus’ resurrection as a type of “First Fruit” where he says: “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.”
(1 Corinthians 15:20)
Join us at First Fruits!
I shouldn’t have been surprised that so many people joined me or watched the video replay, but I was. Take a look here to see what First Fruits looks like. If you are dissatisfied with your prayer life or want to deepen your relationship with the Lord, you are invited to join us Monday – Saturday as we open our hearts to God, praise and listen to His living word in the readings of the day, and ask Him to intercede in our lives through intercessory prayers. We also enjoy an inspirational minute as we learn each day about one holy, blessed person. Join us.
Connect and Be Inspired.
I’d love to share more with your woman’s or volunteer group or next church event. Click to learn more about my speaking or book, or for an inspirational story of the gregarious young Pier Giorgio Frassati, a man of pipes, parties, and a lover of the poor. He is a perfect example of living a joyful social life and putting first things first.
