Starting your day with God doesn’t require lots of time, elaborate bible study, or an exorbitant amount of prayer time. All that’s needed to give God the first part of your day is a surrendered heart.
I personally like to have my quiet time with God during the first hours of the day. I have many friends who prefer to have their time with the Lord in the afternoon or evening.
Both are good and acceptable to the Lord. However, even if you choose to have your quiet time with the Lord later in the day, it’s still important that we make a connection with the Lord each morning.
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What the Bible Says About Starting Your Day With God
While we may not find the words “start your day with God” scripture written anywhere in the Bible, we see the principle woven throughout the Word.
Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:2
This verse in Hebrews is a great example. It tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus. Part of fixing our gaze on our Savior means that we make our first thoughts of the day ones that are focused on Him.
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Why Is It Important to Start Your Day With God
How we spend the first few moments of the morning sets the tone for the rest of our day. If we get out of bed and immediately start checking our emails, social media, or to-do lists, we are, more than likely, filling our first thoughts of the day with anxiety.
Instead, we need to surrender our minds to the Lord early in the morning. That way, we are planting our minds in a place of peace and rest in Him.
We Need Him
I don’t know about you, but I notice a huge difference on the days that I forget to start my day with Jesus.
I’m more irritable. My mind is cluttered.
Giving the Lord the first moments of my day helps me to stay focused on what’s important in each moment.
I need His strength, grace, and direction. Starting my day without Him means starting my day in my own strength. And that usually doesn’t produce godliness or peace in my mind and attitude.
God Deserves the First-Fruits of Our Day
In Colossians chapter 1, we see that God has given Christ first place in all things.
for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. – Colossians 1:16-19
If God has given Christ first place in all things, doesn’t He also deserve to have first place in all areas of our lives?
How You Can Connect With God Every Morning
As I said above, connecting with the Lord each morning can be as simple as surrendering yourself to Him. I have a daily dedication that I like to do. I’ve even started teaching and doing this with my kids.
Here is our daily dedication:
I give you my MIND. My thoughts and my attitude
I give you my HEART. My feelings and ambitions.
I give you my HANDS. My actions and my decisions.
I give you my MOUTH. My words that I speak.
May they all be pleasing to You, Lord
This takes me less than two minutes to do each morning. It’s a great way to invite the Lord into your day while also surrendering your day to Him and His will.
Tips for A Successful Morning Quiet Time With God
If you want to have an extended quiet time with the Lord each morning but are struggling to find the time, here are some practical tips that may be helpful.
Give Yourself Time
If you have young kiddos, try to wake up a few minutes before they do to give yourself a moment of undistracted time to focus your attention on the Lord. If this isn’t possible, you may have to get creative.
I have a friend who had a special blanket she would drape over herself during her quiet time. She trained her kids to know that when mama had that blanket on that she was spending time with Jesus and not to interrupt her during that time unless it was an emergency.
Ask the Lord to give you some creative ideas.
Have A Quiet-Time Space
Have a space somewhere in your home where you keep a Bible and any other tools you like to use for your quiet time. Get a prayer journal or Bible study notebook to help you keep your quiet time organized and intentional. Have some start your day with God Bible verses printed or written out to help you plant your mind in truth. A journal to help you pray and meditate on the promises of God would also be very helpful.
Our Quiet Times Don’t Always Need to Be Quiet
One of the greatest distractions in Bible study for moms is their kids.
You’re trying to concentrate on what you’re reading and how the Holy Spirit is leading, then you hear small feet come trampling down the hallway and barging into the room screaming because her brother looked at her funny.
It’s frustrating. But I’m learning it doesn’t have to be.
I think we have bought into the idea that we have to have absolute quiet to be able to hear from the Lord. Don’t get me wrong, I love my quiet mornings with the Lord with no interruptions.
But I’m convinced that God can speak to us mamas in the presence of our littles. In fact, I think it brings Him pleasure. They get to see mama spending time with Jesus, and we get to practice hearing from the Lord in the midst of everyday life.
Ask the Holy Spirit to Help You Start Your Day With God
One of the greatest things we can do to help ourselves stay consistent in starting our day with the Lord is to ask Him to help us.
We need His help and grace in our spiritual growth. Plus, He loves when we come to Him in humility.
He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way – Psalm 25:9
Asking Him to help us grow in our relationship with Him is a prayer He loves to answer.
Start Your Day With God Quotes
Here are some great quotes to inspire you to start your day with God.
“In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus.” – Old Hymn
“Mornings are better when you talk to God first.” – unknown
“God’s mercies are new every morning. Receive them.” – Max Lucado
“We ought to see the face of God every morning before we see the face of man.” – D.L. Moody
“Morning is a perfect time “2Pray” “2Love” “2Care” “2Smile” “2Relax” & “2 Thank God” 4 giving us 1 more day.” – unknown
As you can see, starting your day with God can be quick and simple. The most important thing is that we acknowledge Him each morning and give Him a surrendered and obedient heart.
Additional posts and resources:
- What It Means to Store Up Treasures in Heaven
- Walking Worthy of Our Calling In Christ
- Practical Ways to Set Your Mind on Things Above
- Inspirational Morning Verses to Start Your Day