Starting Your Day God's Way

The only thing harder than quitting a bad habit is beginning a good one. At least that's been my experience. I've had a very long habit of starting my day off in the Bible and with prayer. My routine varies-- lately I've been studying in Romans. I spent about a half an hour reading and studying, and another half an hour writing in my prayer journal. I rarely miss a day. But it was a difficult in the beginning to get into that daily habit. But I've found over the years, it has become my favorite part of the day.

I've got a couple tips I hope you will find useful in setting aside a little time for God each day.

My first time is to start small. I mean it really small. Don't plan to spent an hour on it every morning--you're setting yourself up for failure if you start with an unrealistic goal. How about instead, just find a nice five minute devotional to read each morning, and spend a few minutes in prayer. Perhaps you could find a journal to write your thoughts in and record prayer requests in. That's it.

Why start so small? Because consistency beats intensity every time. Jesus said in Luke 16:10, "Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much." When you prove to yourself that you can be faithful with five minutes, your confidence grows. After a week or two of consistency, you'll naturally want to spend more time. But start small, and watch God honor your faithfulness.

My second tip is to be prepared. The night before, open your Bible to tomorrow's passage. Have your prayer journal ready with a pen beside it. Be ready to go when you get up in the morning. Proverbs 21:5 tells us, "The plans of the diligent lead to profit." A few minutes of preparation the night before can make all the difference in establishing a morning routine that will last..

My third tip is to track your success. Get a calendar and check off each day your complete your morning scripture and prayer routine. We're motivated by progress, and seeing those checkmarks accumulate creates momentum.

My last tip--don't beat yourself up if you miss a day. Life happens. Kids get sick, work demands increase, or you simply oversleep. When this happens, don't let guilt derail your entire effort. Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." God's mercies are new every morning – including the morning after you missed your quiet time. Don't quit because you missed one day or even three days. Just start again tomorrow.

Here's my challenge for you: Commit to this simple routine for the next 21 days. Research shows it takes about 21 days to begin forming a new habit. But more importantly, God promises in Jeremiah 29:13, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." When you consistently seek Him, even in small ways, He will meet you there. Your relationship with God will deepen, your peace will increase, and you'll find strength for whatever the day brings. Small, consistent steps create lasting transformation.

Will you take the first step tomorrow morning? Let me know how you do!

~Pastor Todd Creason