Draw close to God and He will draw close to you.
James 4:8
Do you ever feel like being a stay at home mom you have to pick and choose between God time, family time, chore time, and whatever other time there is? Take heart, sis. If you’re wondering how to make some quality time for God, This one’s for you. There is no right or wrong way to spend time with God, spend time in the Word, or even pray. I’m sharing ways on how to spend time with God in the morning and what has worked for me might just work for you. Grab a notebook, and pen and get ready to take notes. Let’s hang out, friend.
How to set aside time for God in the morning
Setting a positive foundation every day should be spent starting your day with praying, journaling, and spending time talking with God. If we expect to change our thinking and behavior, this should be our priority.
We can’t change unless we let God move on our behalf. The more time we spend with God, the more we are allowing Him to work in our spirit. We need to learn to rely completely on God’s ability, rather than our own.
It’s such a relief to know that our lives are placed on God’s timetable. We spend so much time worrying about things that are completely out of our control! If this is one area that you struggle with, be assured in knowing that God will relieve that burden entirely!
Peace I leave with you, my [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]
– John 14:27 AMP
How we fill our cup is to start with a daily morning dose of the Living Word. This is the most important part of the day because prayer will equip you to handle spiritual attacks. One of the ways we get attacked is through our thinking.
How to prepare to spend time with God in the morning
Get up half an hour early
Or 20 minutes! Every minute counts, even if it only gives you five. Start small, and increase it every week.
Clear your mind
This is not easy in the beginning, especially if you have a really busy brain that loves to keep your thought process chatty. Don’t get discouraged. Practicing this takes time. Be patient with yourself. Ask God to help quiet your mind to help you focus on His Word & voice.
Pick a quiet area to pray, study, and listen
Grab your coffee and choose a room in the house where you will be uninterrupted. Make this time the same time daily. Decide for how long. I recommend 30 minutes, but if you only have 15 to spare, do that. Make it gently clear to your family that this time is for God and you don’t want to be bothered. Pray that God gives you Wisdom and revelation to you, and gives you understanding of His Word.
Choose an easy-to-understand Bible translation
- I recommend NLT & the AMP versions of the Bible. Make sure that you have a notebook and pen.
- Write down any thoughts that come to mind when you are reading or listening.
- This is optional, but a daily devotional can help you dig into God’s Word. I use this one and I love it.
- Index cards are super helpful. Any scripture that stands out to you, write it down and reflect on it throughout the day. It also helps to memorize scripture.
Pick a short book in the Bible to read
- Galatians, Colossians, & James are all short books that I encourage you to start with. There are other short books, but these have some great scriptures that are so important to memorize.
- To implement a good study time, use the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer)
- Write any words down that stand out to you and look up the Greek definition of the word.
Pray and don’t be afraid to ask questions and let God know how you feel
- We are to confidently and boldly come to God (Hebrews 4:16). He already knows how you feel, so however you are feeling, give it to Him. Ask for discernment and knowledge in His Word if something doesn’t make sense.
- No matter how silly you think your question is, God wants you to ask it.
- There’s no wrong way to pray. Your prayer life will improve over time. Refer to this scripture on how Jesus taught his disciples to say an effective prayer. (Matthew 6:7)
Reflect on your study
- What did you write down (if anything?) What does it mean to you?
- What scripture stood out to you? What about this specific scripture stands out? A phrase, word?
- Did God reveal anything to you in His Word?
- Was there a certain scripture that stirred your spirit? How did it make you feel?
Find a Christian Counselor/friend
- Find a Christian mentor that is trustable in helping you develop a prayer life and personal relationship with God.
- Find a great Christian friend that you can reflect with on certain scriptures, and can talk to.
Find a great support group that you can be a part of. Whether that be in a church, a group of friends, or HELLO! My group is right here! (Official invite for my sis in Christ!)
Spending time with God is a constant pursuit
If we want peace in our lives, we have to pursue Jesus regularly and consistently. God’s Word doesn’t work in our life if we are passively waiting for it and putting the Word to work. We have to be intentional chasers of God. The more we put into it, the more we will reap the benefits in the appointed season. (Galatians 6:4)
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from me, [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.
John 15:5 AMP
God’s Word helps us grow spiritually, and mentally and also helps us grow in knowledge and Wisdom. If you’re hurting, His Word will heal you. If you need encouragement, His Word can encourage you. But the Word will only work if you are spending time in it. We essentially need to fill our cup first before we have anything to give to others.
If you struggle with how to spend time with God in the morning, you can pick any time that works for you in the day. Choose what works best for your alone time. Do you already have prayer time with God? I’d love for you to be a part of the conversation! Drop a comment below and tell me how you spend time with God.
Dig deeper into these verses on spending time with God
Jeremiah 29:13
Romans 10:17, 12:2
Psalms 119:105
Mark 1:35
Hey there skimmer
Wanna listen instead of read? Listen to episode 3 // How to Spend Time With God in the Morning.
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