Starting Your Day with Jesus
“In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:3
I know not everyone is a morning person, but I love waking up a few minutes before everyone else in my house and starting my day getting my heart and mind in the right place. Call it “quiet time” or “devotions” or “time with God,” but starting my day with Jesus radically changes the outcome of my day. I find I’m less anxious, more patient, and more joyful having taken even ten minutes to pray, read, and worship before the hustle and bustle of the day begins.
Psalm 5:3 is a favorite verse because the psalmist models the confidence and security that comes with regular engagement with God. It’s clear that he knows God loves him, that he can share what is on his heart and wait to see how God meets him. That’s what I want for my own life and for yours too.
If you’ve never started your morning with Jesus or haven’t been super consistent in a while, here are some ideas of how to use the first few minutes of the day growing your relationship with Jesus:
- Read scripture. One of the greatest gifts God has given us is his Word. There are so many amazing Bible reading plans that can walk you through the entire Bible, the Old Testament, the New Testament, as well as tons of shorter online plans that focus on a particular topic (fear, joy, etc.). Spending a few minutes reading and thinking or praying about what you just read is a wonderful thing to do.
- Read a book that grows your faith. While other books shouldn’t replace the Word of God, there are many amazing, faithful, God-loving people who have written their experience to encourage others. I love reading my Bible and then spending a few minutes reading a chapter from a book. Some of my personal favorite spiritual authors are Henri Nouwen, Elisabeth Elliot, Shauna Niequist, Brennan Manning, Lysa TerKeurst, and Jess Connolly.
- Journal and Pray. You don’t have to write a novel every day, but writing down your prayers is such a powerful way to pour your heart out to God and look back later to see God’s faithfulness. I’ve been journaling my prayers for the last 10 or so years, and it is so cool to see how God has been faithful through many seasons and answered many prayers.
- Listen to worship music or a podcast. On mornings where my kids wake up early or it’s just not feasible for me to sit and read/journal, I can always find time to listen to worshipful music or a Christian podcast as I get ready and drive to work. There are so many great artists and speakers out there to choose from!
Just taking a few minutes a day to focus on your faith can make such a difference. I’m praying that as you read this today that your heart would be stirred up to spend time with Jesus, and that like David, you would wait with expectation to see how He meets with you in your time!