In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus. …And some coffee, please. I’m on my fourth year of intentionally getting up before my family (and the sun) and spending quiet time praying, reading, reflecting and journaling. Doing this has changed my life. Seriously. Having peaceful, devoted quiet time in the morning with God sets me up for success each day. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve woken up with a bad attitude, feeling stressed or anxious and then my time reading the Bible and/ or journaling sets me straight. It changes everything.
To keep things interesting (and to keep myself engaged), I switch things up. This is the current stack of books on my coffee table. I always start with the Jesus Calling daily devotions. Most mornings I work on my bible study and I meet with my group on Thursdays. Other days, I pick from one of these other books and read or re-read something I need specifically for that day. Sometimes I just need to journal and when I do that, it’s almost always in the form of a letter to God. Informal and honest…He already knows the whispers of my heart- nothing will surprise Him. Still, other days, just flipping through Psalms or Proverbs in my bible is exactly what I need.