There’s a saying that goes, “the early bird gets the worm,” and since the pandemic, I have found myself becoming more of a Johnny Come Lately opposed to that early bird. Listen, consistently arising early has definitely been a challenge for me as of late, but I am encouraged that there is nothing too hard for God!This time I’m taking practical and biblical steps to change my routine. I want to rebuild the habit of starting my day connecting with God. Although a small change to some, I believe it will yield massive results in my life mentally, physically, and spiritually. If we as believers are to grow from faith to faith, then our daily habits should reflect that. If our lives are governed by the Bible then sacrifice is not optional. In America, we’ve made convenience our norm and sacrifice a foreign place. Christian’s shouldn’t merely be “early birds” but devoted disciples and apart of that devotion is giving our first moments of the day to God.

How be it, that we can cheerfully give our first fruit to God in tithes but lazily ignore the opportunity to give God the first fruit of our day? These are the hard questions we must ask ourselves as we claim to be mature Christians in the faith. When wisdom cries out as the scripture states in Proverbs 1;20 are we listening? Are we ignoring the Holy Spirit when He nudges us to intercede in the wee hours of the night because we love sleep more than obedience? Obedience will always be better than sacrifice and I would add that obedience is what supports our sacrifice to God. In order to please God with our sacrifice, it has to be one that is drenched in faith – a faith that is displayed through obedience. Remember, that faith without works is dead found in James 2:17.

So, let’s put our faith to work with practical and biblical ways to start our day (early) with the Lord! Firstly, we must understand that a disciplined night routine helps us build a better morning routine. We must end our night with God through reflection of His goodness that carried us in prayer. Going to bed in gratitude will help us rest in the Peace of God so worry won’t steal our sleep. Oftentimes, we can’t keep a solid morning routine because we don’t get proper sleep in the night. We must also put our phones away unless we are playing music that aids us into deep sleep or Bible verses being played. Doom scrolling until we are tired will never be an adequate recipe for a good nights rest. All that does is keep our brains wired to stay up when our bodies are starving for rest.

These are just a few ways to help you start your day off prioritizing God. Understand that although everyone has 24 hrs in a day that it’s not a one size fits all. Some people work different shifts and will have to restructure how their routines may look from others. The focal point is to make sure you are not penciling God into your routine or completely leaving Him out of it. This time we are not just checking a box, but checking in with God first. Never forget that there will never be a goal greater than the God Who empowers us to execute them.