Rise Early and Pray.

January 11, 2023

The year Sarah and I visited Maine, the sun rose early on Cadillac Mountain—around 6:22 a.m.

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The really neat thing about that is, that while standing on Cadillac Mountain you are one of the first ones in the United States to see the sun rise. Maybe not a huge deal, but kind of cool to be able to say you saw the sun rise before anyone else in the U.S. Well… us and the handful of others standing on Cadillac Mountain that morning.

As a bonus, a Park Ranger gave us a card commemorating the event.

Experiencing a sunrise on Cadillac Mountain is not as simple as hopping out of bed and standing on our balcony for a few minutes. Oh no, it can be quite the ordeal. It often takes more than thirty minutes to wind your way up Cadillac Mountain on your morning excursion. We stayed in nearby Bar Harbor and found our way to Acadia National Park around 4:30 a.m.

Fog covered much of the mountain that morning, causing us to creep much of the way to the top. We still got there plenty early to find a decent parking spot before hiking to the one of the best spots to wait for the sunrise. I have other photos from that morning showing droplets on the hoods of our coats as the thick fog clung to us on the very cold morning. Temperatures on Cadillac Mountain average in the mid-40’s at sunrise for the time we were there.

Once out on the rocky ledge, I set up the camera and we waited. Other souls longing for the first break of light do the same things as us. They walk, talk, shuffle their feet, sip coffee, and keep an eye out for the first glimpse of light.

As foggy as it was, watching the sun poke its nose above the clouds for the first time in the United States on the cold, cold morning was exhilarating. It’s one of those times as a photographer that you don’t want to waste your time looking through a lens because you want to take in the bigger picture. The expanse. The grandeur. The quiet time where an awareness of our maker is unmistakable.

I tried to do a little of both. Take photos and enjoy the moment with my wife.

The Bible is replete with Scripture about rising early. One of the many tells us of how Jesus rose early to pray.

Jesus has been busy about His ministry. Mark tells us Jesus had been baptized, then immediately tested in the wilderness. He called His first disciples, drove out impure spirits, and healed many people. You might think He would want to sleep in after all expending all that energy.

But look at what He does.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35, NIV)

Rising early to watch a spectacular sunrise is a wonderful, beautiful thing to do. If you ever get a chance to be in the Acadia National Park, I recommend it.

Better than that, I urge you to rise up early, while it is still dark, and meet with the Lord in prayer. You don’t have to travel. You don’t need to make your way to the top of a mountain. Where you are, in your home, steal away and pray.

More than a sunrise, it will change your life. I know we are not all morning people. And I’m not saying the only meaningful time you can have with Jesus is in the morning. I am saying there is something special about starting our day early, in a solitary place, in prayer.

If you’ve done this, what did it mean for you?