Seek the Lord Early: Don’t Wait for a Crisis

Over the next several weeks, we’re going to talk about what it means to prepare for the greater works God may have ahead of us. We’ll begin by looking at why it is important to seek the Lord early and continually. From there, we’ll talk about submission and teachability, understanding the limits of the enemy and the limitless nature of God, and finally, how God trains and prepares us for greater works.

There is a progression to all of this. Before God can prepare us for what is ahead, we must first learn to follow Him, remain dependent upon Him, and seek the Lord early. The seeking is where we begin.

There is something about a crisis that makes us seek the Lord.

When the phone rings with unexpected news, when a relationship begins to unravel, when the diagnosis comes, when the ministry becomes difficult, or when we simply don’t know what to do next—we pray.

And we most definitely should.

God invites us to call on Him in our trouble. He is near to the brokenhearted. He is our refuge and strength. But what if we didn’t wait until the crisis to seek Him? What if seeking the Lord wasn’t our emergency response but our daily rhythm?

What Does It Mean to Seek the Lord Early?

Psalm 63:1 says: “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You.”

I love that verse. But I don’t think seeking the Lord early is limited to a particular time on the clock.

Certainly, there is great value in seeking Him early in the morning. Beginning the day in His presence helps us intentionally turn our hearts toward Him before the demands, distractions, and unexpected moments of the day begin competing for our attention.

But perhaps early can mean more than early in the morning. It can also mean early in the situation.

Don’t wait until you are overwhelmed to seek the Lord. Don’t wait until the relationship is in trouble, the decision becomes urgent, or the circumstances become impossible.

Isaiah 26:9 says: “With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early.”

The posture of seeking God isn’t reserved for desperate moments. It is the posture of a life that recognizes its continual need for Him. Seek Him early, whatever that means on any given day or circumstance.

Seek the Lord Early: Don’t Wait for the Crisis

One of the dangers of waiting until a crisis develops is that we often begin seeking God only after we have exhausted our own ideas, resources, and strength.

We try to fix it. We ask everyone else what they think. We worry. We strategize. We try to figure everything out.

Eventually, when none of those things gives us the answer we need, we turn to God.

But what if prayer was our first response instead of our last resort? What if we sought the wisdom of God before we made the decision? What if we sought His direction before the crisis?

What if we developed such a consistent relationship with Him that we didn’t have to remember to run to Him when trouble came because we were already walking with Him?

Seek the Lord Early: Our Bible Heroes Give Us a Great Example

Throughout Scripture, we see examples of people responding to God with prompt obedience.

Abraham rose early when he set out to obey God’s difficult command regarding Isaac. Moses repeatedly responded to God’s instructions as he led the Israelites through crisis and uncertainty. David often rose early and set out in obedience, even when facing circumstances that required courage and faith.

These men did not always understand everything that was happening. They did not always know how the story would end - but they understood the importance of responding to God.

Sometimes we want God to explain the entire situation before we obey. We want details. We want reassurance. We want to know how everything is going to work out.

But seeking God early means choosing His presence before we have all the answers. There is something powerful about seeking Him before we understand everything.

Seek the Lord Early: Before You Need an Answer

This is one reason it is so important to develop a habit of seeking the Lord before the crisis comes.

You may not know what is waiting for you today. You don’t know who will call. You don’t know what conversation you will have. You don’t know what decision will suddenly require wisdom. You don’t know who may cross your path and need the hope, encouragement, or wisdom God has placed within you.

But God knows.

When we seek Him early, we enter the day aware of our dependence on Him. We make room for Him to direct our thoughts, our words, our decisions, and our responses.

Seeking the Lord isn’t simply about getting something from Him. It is about knowing Him.

When we know Him, we learn to recognize His voice, trust His leadership, and follow Him even when we don’t understand the entire journey.

Seek the Lord Early: Make Seeking Him Your First Response

Maybe today you aren’t in a crisis.

That’s wonderful.

Seek Him anyway.

Maybe everything feels stable right now. Seek Him anyway.

Maybe you don’t have a major decision to make. Seek Him anyway.

Because the best time to develop a deep dependence on the Lord is before you find yourself desperately needing direction.

Don’t wait until you are drowning to learn where the lifeline is. Don’t wait until you are lost to become familiar with the voice of your Guide. Don’t wait until the crisis comes to discover that you need the presence of God.

Seek Him early. Seek Him before the problem. Seek Him before the decision. Seek Him before the need becomes desperate.

When the crisis eventually comes—as it inevitably will—you won’t be trying to figure out where to find God. You will already be walking with Him.

Psalm 63:1 says, “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You.” If you think early in the day is what the psalmist meant, seek Him early in the day. If you think early in the crisis is what the psalmist meant, seek Him early in the crisis. I'm not going to fuss over semantics - I'm going to seek Him early, continually, whatever it takes. If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready, right?

Seek the Lord Early: Reflection

Here are a couple of reflections for you:

Are you seeking the Lord only when you need an answer, or have you made His presence a regular part of your life?

What might change if you chose to seek Him early—in the morning, in the situation, and before the crisis?

Today, don’t wait. Seek the Lord early.

Seek the Lord Early: Let’s Continue the Conversation

This is just the beginning of our Preparing for Greater Works series, and I hope you’ll continue the conversation with me. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and join me on Thursday as we take this conversation a little deeper.

If you’re looking for additional resources to help you grow in ministry and in your life with Christ, I would love to invite you to explore the resources available through Connect Mentoring Network. Whether you are navigating ministry, developing as a leader, or simply desiring to grow deeper in your relationship with the Lord, there are resources designed to encourage and strengthen you along the way.

I’ll see you on Thursday! 😊