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.
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
Pulling out my journal, I begin listing the morning routines I feel led to pursue in this season.
I don’t claim to be an expert at establishing a Rule of Life, but as I assess these habits, I have a sense that they could benefit most of us. 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.
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 the Lord.
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 letting God enjoy 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, let my arms hang loose, and rest with the One who holds my world together.
4. Pray for the people.
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 pray consistently for the people closest to me.
For this reason, at 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, loved ones, and ministry partners. Again, I don’t aim to pray over dozens of people every day. I pray over one woman from my Bible study, one long-time friend, one extended family member, and one writing friend. This allows me to pray slowly and creates space to receive impressions from the Lord.
5. Move.
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.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Stacey Pardoe
Featured Image by Eric Njoroge from Pixaba
These are some excellent points on getting a good start of the day. Although I really don’t wake up grumpy, I do like the idea of speaking words of life upon waking up. It will get me in the right mood right away. Thank you for sharing these points.
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