5 Morning Routines to Help You Start Your Day With God
Autumn rain hangs from the spruce boughs like glass beads. Cleansing the sleepy earth, it feels like God’s invitation to begin again. I’ve been thinking about my rhythms lately—analyzing the morning routines that are working for me in this season as well as the ones that aren’t.
The Importance of Morning Routines
Last week, I felt tempted to return to self-effort in an attempt to restore some off-kilter areas of my life. However, this morning, the ivory mist reminds me that a Spirit-filled life is not built around willpower but around rhythms.
The rhythms we establish ultimately make up our lives.
5 Morning Routines to Help You Begin Well
If you would like to see transformation in your life but aren’t sure where to begin, incorporating even one of these rhythms into your days is a step in the right direction. Let’s look at five morning routines to help you start your day with God.
1. Speak words of life before you arise.
I generally wake up grumpy. If I’m not intentional about it, I remain grumpy throughout the first full hour of the day. One way to push back against this grouchiness is to begin the day by speaking words of life.
After our third child was born, I realized I was waking up grumpy every morning. Low on sleep and fully unprepared to greet all three kids, I knew I needed a better way to start the day.
One morning, I woke up to coral light flitting through the window, and the following words came to mind: “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24, my translation). From that day forward, I began a habit of repeating the same phrase every morning. These words faithfully remind me that the day ahead of me is a gift to relish with joy—not a burden to bear with drudgery.
A few months ago, I read Dr. Michelle Bengston’s wonderful devotional book Today Is Going to Be a Good Day. Along with Psalm 118: 24, I often repeat the title of Dr. Michelle’s life-changing book—reminding myself that I choose the trajectory of my day.
2. Begin with Truth.
Our first moments of the day set the stage for the rest of the day. A habit of turning to the news, the social media feed, or the Internet first thing is easy to fall into. However, our days will be transformed if we make it a habit to soak in Truth before we soak in the matters of this world.
After climbing from bed, freshening up, and serving breakfasts to the kids, I begin the day in the Bible as often as possible. Most days, nothing remarkable happens during my time in the Bible; however, even when the reading doesn’t seem particularly flashy, like a breakfast of oatmeal, God’s Word consistently nourishes my soul.
You might begin the day by reading a Psalm, reading from a daily reading plan, or listening to an audio Bible on the way to work or as you drop the kids off at school. The key is to begin by renewing your mind with God’s Word.
3. Rest in God’s love.
Before diving into the work of the day—and even before mentally hashing out my daily schedule—resting in the Lord’s presence is a rhythm that replenishes me and prepares me for the day ahead. For just a few short minutes, I sit by the window, watch the birds at the bird feeder outside, and rest with the Lord.
I have no agenda other than resting in the awareness that God is present with me. I don’t try to solve any problems, plan the week, or grapple with issues that are bothering me. The secret is to lay it all down and rest with the One who holds my world together.
I try to keep my mind focused on God’s love as I imagine him smiling upon me. Every time my thoughts wander, I gently redirect them back into God’s love. I often repeat a centering Bible verse or phrase, such as, “God delights in me and loves me more than I can fathom.”
God wants to touch us with his love. These moments of silence and solitude are powerful for leading us into his presence and helping us soak in his love.
4. Pray for others.
I’ve realized that unless I make prayer a habit, my prayer life is, at best, sporadic. I remember to utter on-the-go prayers throughout the day, but I tend to forget to consistently pray for the people closest to me.
For this reason, in the front of my journal, I have a list of people for whom I pray. The names of my husband and kids are at the top of the page. I pray for one of these family members every day—not all of them. By praying for one person per day, I’m able to lift each loved one before the throne of God and ask him what he wants me to pray.
Often, God shows me a way to encourage, guide, and equip the children. He helps me see needs and ways to invest in their lives—ways I might otherwise overlook.
I also take a few minutes to pray over a list of friends, colleagues, and loved ones. Again, I don’t aim to pray over dozens of people every day. I often pray for just one or two people from my list. This allows me to pray slowly and creates space to receive impressions from the Lord.
Praying for the people I will encounter throughout my days helps me to be more intentional about loving them and encouraging them when I see them.
5. Pursue movement.
God created our bodies, and our bodies were designed for movement.
I try to move my body in a way that strengthens it every morning. In some seasons, this means I go to the yard with the kids. In other seasons, I hop on the elliptical in the basement, take a walk down our country road, or hike through the forest behind the house.
Moving our bodies keeps us strong and alert. You don’t have to run ten miles or even break a sweat to benefit from movement. Spend five minutes stretching or a few moments jogging in place. Do ten situps or pushups. Walk to the mailbox or the end of the street. Just a few moments of movement can help your body prepare for the day ahead.
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Do you want to learn how to start the day with God? Read here for five habits to add to your morning routine. #morningroutine #habits #seekingGod Share on XNext week, we’ll be talking about healthy rhythms for the rest of the day, but I pray these insights blessed you as you seek to honor God with your morning routines.
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Calling all moms and daughters!
Additionally, my teen daughter, Bekah, and I are passionate about helping moms and daughters grow closer while connecting with God. We have written two mother-daughter devotionals together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section after each devotion.
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Additionally, my 12-year-old daughter, Bekah, and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book to help mothers and daughters grow closer together while connecting with God. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a shared journaling section. Multitudes of mothers, daughters, mentors, and younger women are being transformed by this book! You can buy your paperback or eBook on Amazon right here.
