Billy Joe Daugherty - The Breakfast of Champions

CONTENTS

Chapter One

Wake Up!

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

1 Peter 4:7

This scripture, indicating that the end of all things is at hand, should give us motivation to commit ourselves to a daily time of early morning prayer .

To be sober means "to be alert; watchful; not lazy, sleeping, or caught unaware." The hour in which we are living demands that we be alert, awake and watchful through the power of prayer.

Just as no soldier would go into battle with guns firing around him without a weapon, helmet and proper gear, it is every bit as ridiculous to start your day without early morning prayer .

A few years ago, Sharon and I were in the Golan Heights area of Israel. Syria had invaded Israel in a surprise attack on Yom Kippur, the great day of atonement , when all the Israelis were praying and fasting. Syria thought they could take Israel, but within a few hours, the Israeli jets and tanks were on their way to annihilate the capital of Syria. At that point, the United States president stepped in and stopped this action.

The Syrian Golan Heights area was covered with mines. Israel plowed areas so their tanks could go through, and we traveled on one of these roads. Our tour guide warned us, however, not to get out on either side of the road because of the mines.

Mines had been set an inch or so under the soil all over these fields. Any vibration from armored vehicles or people walking could cause the land mines to explode, with the potential of killing many people.

In this hour, many people are walking in mine fields with no sensitivity as to what is happening in the world. Marriages and mental, physical and spiritual health are being blown to smithereens. Traps have been set by the devil to distract God's people from their divine calling. We must have the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit to stay on track with God. Early morning prayer is one of the ways we can become more sensitive to the mine fields that Satan has set up for us.

On the positive side, though a battle is raging, this is the hour for the "great exploits" to come forth, which Daniel spoke of in Daniel 11:32.

Early Morning Prayer Isnt for Everybody!

Early morning prayer isn't for everyone. It is only for people who are desperate for victory and who know they can't make it without God's help. It is only for those who are determined to win in this life and who are willing to pay the price to discipline their lives so they can be used for God's purposes in the earth.

Early morning prayer is for people who have a desire for God to be in their lives, not just on Sundays, but every day of the week. It is for those who want more than a facade of Christianity. They want Christ to flow in and through them out to others.

Perilous Times Are Here!

The world right now is filled with every form of evil, godless people and temptations. It is a very difficult time to be alive. We are in an hour that

Paul spoke of where people despise government authorities, they are haters of one another and they despise everything that is good.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 AMP, Paul said:

But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].

For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self- centered , lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.

[They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers ( false accusers , troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.

[They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.

For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].

Perilous times have come in case you haven't noticed! It is time to wake up and prepare to walk out your divine destiny through a commitment to early morning prayer . Your attitude should be, "With God's help, I will never be defeated!"

Watch and pray.

Chapter Two

My First Experience With Early Morning Prayer

After I was born again in May, 1970, I started working in the oil fields. Since I had to be at work by 7:00 a.m., I had to get up early.

I really don't know what initially motivated me to seek the Lord the first part of my day in prayer other than the fact that I just wanted to spend time with Him, but it has been a part of my life ever since. I would go out on our back porch with my Bible and just read the Word and talk to the Lord.

As that summer progressed, I had additional motivation for seeking the Lord early in the day. Most of the crew that I worked with in the oil fields was made up of rough men who needed redemption from ungodliness. They were professional cussers who could have taught cussing on the graduate level!

These men told some of the most perverse, vile jokes and stories, and because we had to ride in the same two-seater truck which held six men, we heard their conversations. One of the guys weighed about 240 pounds. We all wore hard hats, and he would sneak up behind me with a ball peen hammer and bong!!

Thank God for the one Christian friend, Ricky Irwin, who worked with me on this crew. One day as we were eating some of Mom's fried chicken, black eyed peas and corn bread (as they ate their dry sandwiches), the big guy and one of his buddies started pitching rocks at us, and they asked, "You want them here, or you want them out there in the trees?" Ricky and I looked at each other and took off running for the trees, their rocks pelting us in the back. We spent time in the trees until it was time to go back to work. That will drive you to early morning prayer !

Maybe rocks are being thrown at your life the fiery darts of the devil, demonic thoughts, or verbal rocks.

If you get up in the morning and you're not prepared for the day in prayer, you will walk into a mine field or into a battle zone without adequate preparation.

There have been a few times over the years when I have missed early morning prayer , and any time I missed it, I could tell it by what went on in my day. Things happened for which I wasn't prepared to handle or respond to in a proper way. When I seek the Lord in prayer early in the day, my days go better. Yours will, too!

In Proverbs 8:17 AMP, the Lord says:

I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me.

Chapter Three

Jesus Christ: Our Example for Early Morning Prayer

Our greatest example for early morning prayer is Jesus Christ. He came to show us what the Father is like, but He also came to give us an example to follow.

One day, after ministering healing to Peter's mother-in-law, a crowd of people showed up with all of their sick and demon-possessed friends and relatives. Let's look at this account in Mark 1:3235:

And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.

And all the city was gathered together at the door.

And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.

Verses 32-34

I have good news for you! Jesus is still healing the sick and casting out devils.