Five Simple and Practical Tips to Help You Stick to Your Morning Devotions

Let’s face it.

It is kinda hard to get up one or even two hours earlier in the morning when our lifestyle just gives us four to five hours max sleep at night. Relate much? It gets all the more frustrating when you browse YouTube, Facebook and Tumblr and they tell you that the secret to utmost success is to “become a morning person.”

Then there’s also that big desire to honor God. You actually believe in what Matthew 6:33 states: Seek first the kingdom of God and everything else shall be added unto you. Well, you admit you want to have a “seek God first” moment every morning, but also believe strongly in another verse which totally describes your dilemma: The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”-Matthew 26:41

We know the struggle, but we also know that “Nothing is impossible with God”. Doing early morning devotions (reading the Bible and keeping a journal) are lit. They’re the best. They keep us connected with God, give us the right directions and instructions for the rest of the day and get us motivated as we are reminded that we have a much deeper and bigger purpose in life than just thinking of attending to a busy day. Mornings are perfect for doing devotions, because we aren’t too tired yet to talk to God (and the chances of us falling asleep in the middle of reading are low).

So here are some practical tips to help you stick to your morning devotions:

Be gadget free- Are you one of those people who, still with eyes closed, reach for their phones first thing in the morning. We may say, “Well, that’s because I would likely have to turn off my alarm, because I use my phone for it.” However, after turning off the phone, we may probably also stumble upon a text message, some social media notifications and a couple of missed calls which will more likely consume your thoughts for about—hmm---fifteen minutes at least, then twenty, then thirty. Before you know it, you’ve already spent one whole hour just scrolling up and you’ve already used up your time to pray. Our take on this is—stop using your phones as alarm clocks. Yep! Buy/Look for a real alarm clock. Just the simple one. Then at night, place your phone at least ten steps away from the bed that you would have to stand up and walk to get it. This way, you will think twice of getting it immediately. As substitute, put your Bible and journal on your bed side table instead. You will be reminded that you have to do your devotion first and foremost before getting up. Oh, and don’t forget to also prepare a pen. Let’s get rid of every excuse—including the “I don’t have a pen (sad face) excuse.

Be worry free- One of the reasons why we keep on skipping our quiet time with God is because we usually really have a lot to do the next day that we think we don’t want to waste time ‘soon as we get up. One of the greatest preachers of all time, Benny Hinn stated that if he wanted to accomplish more, he will see to it that he prays more. Wow! What an outstanding principle! To explain further, what this man of God is actually pointing out is that we are more empowered, encouraged and strengthened by God’s word and God’s presence when we pray so we remain alive, focused and determined throughout the day whether at work or at school. The Word of God and prayer is actually the wisest and most practical act in the world since it makes us more productive. What we can do is to list down all the things that we need to do the following day before we going to sleep. Map out a schedule and make sure to include a time for doing your devotion--fifteen minutes, twenty minutes, an hour or even three! It actually depends on how much time you have. It can vary depending on your activities everyday. Don’t feel so bad if you only get to spend time with God fifteen to twenty minutes for starters. As long as your desire is there, see to it you will remain aware of Him all day wherever you are and just continue to pray to Him at night. Stop worrying what you have to do. Have a clear time frame of your day, which will enable you to do everything anyway.

Be distraction free- There might have been a time in your life as a student when you swore you studied better for an exam while watching TV. Well now, TV during quiet time ain’t gonna cut it. Aside from the social media networks you need to escape from, decide to have time off from the good ol’ tube as well. Imagine that you’re gonna be talking to someone important that morning. Of course, you wouldn’t want to mess up your meeting by glancing back and forth the TV screen. That person would expect your undivided focus and vice versa. It would actually depend on how important God is to us. In order to really feel God’s presence, we have to listen intently as God says “His voice is a still small voice”. Clearly, TV and social media won’t help in this aspect at all. Instead, whip up your favorite worship song playlist or instrumental worship music to keep in the background.

Be clutter free- Yep. You read it right. What does clutter have to do with devotions, you say? Well, it is quite challenging to get into that special, peaceful moment with God if your surroundings scream “world war three”. It does affect the mind indeed when you wake up to a cluttered bed, a cluttered bookshelf and yea, a cluttered bedroom. Always spare even just ten minutes of your time daily in decluttering your room since it is the most important part of your house (if not your kitchen—if you know what I mean). Treat your bedroom with respect. It is now also the immediate meeting place where you meet God’s presence and meditate on His word. May your room be a sweet sanctuary which will forever foster peace of mind and whole lot of positive energy to get you going throughout the day.

Be drama free- Mornings are proven crucial if you ask me. The way that we start our day will dictate its outcome. We should never expect every morning to be just as awful as our previous day had been just because something went wrong at work, or because there was a friend who misjudged us that day. The Bible said that the mercies of the Lord are new every morning—we are meant to enjoy every second of its sunshine. This is the main reason why I love mornings.—there’s another day which means there’s another chance to live. It is truly a God-given gift. That’s why we must greet every morning with joy. Utter words of encouragement for your soul first thing in the morning. Post little sticky notes containing bible verses on the walls near your bed or even on the ceiling so that you get reminded of God’s promises before you are reminded of whatever due date you need to meet this week. Make your mind healthy because where the mind goes—the man follows.

Extra point: Keep doing your morning devotion until you establish a routine. There is really such a thing as body clock or body rhythm. As we continue doing it every morning, chances are, you will surely yearn for it without being so conscious about it. Once you have a routine, simple follow it and it will yield you results you’ve always prayed for.