George Müller, even while in bad health, managed to maintain deep, prayerful communion with the Lord. He recounts:

"During my stay at Plymouth, I was stirred afresh to early rising, a blessing, the results of which I have not lost since. I was led to it be the example of the brother in whose house I was staying, and a remark which he made speaking of the sacrifices of Leviticus: 'Even as the refuse of animals was not to be offered up, so the best part of our time should be especially given to communion with the Lord.'

". . . By the grace of God, after I heard the remark to which I have alluded, I determined that, whatever my body might suffer, I would no longer let the most precious time of the day pass away while I was in bed. By the grace of God I was enabled to begin that very day to rise earlier and have continued to rise early since that time.

"I allow myself about seven hours of sleep, which is sufficient to refresh me. In adding to this, I gave up the sleep after dinner. . . . If it be asked, 'why should I rise early?' the reply is this: to remain too long in bed is -

1. A waste of time, which is unbecoming to a saint, who is bought by the precious blood of Jesus, with his time and all he has, to be used for the Lord. If we sleep more than is needful for the refreshment of the body, it is wasting the time with which the Lord has entrusted us as a talent, to bue used for His glory, for our own benefit, and the benefit of all the saints and unbelievers around us.

2. Injurous to the body. Just as when we take too much food, and are injured thereby, so it is as regards sleep.

3. Injurous to the soul. The lying too long in bed not merely keeps us from giving the most precious part of the day to prayer and meditation, but this sloth leads to many other evils."

Making it Personal:

"Anyone need but make the experiment of spending one, two, or three hours in prayer and meditation before breakfast, either in his room, or with his Bible in his hands in the field, and he will soon find out the beneficial effect which early rising has upon the outward and inward man.

"I beseech all my brethren and sisters into whose hands this may fall, and who are not in the habit of rising early, to make the trial, and they will praise the Lord for having done so. Be not discouraged by feeling drowsy and tired in consequence of your early rising. This will soon wear off. You will, after a few days, feel yourself stronger and fresher than when you used to lie an hour or two longer than you needed." -- George Müller

My intention is to conduct Müller's suggested "experiment." How about you?