How To Make Morning Devotional Time | Time Alone with God

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Time alone with God is vital and how to spend time with God alone can vary in different ways. There are creative ways to spend time with God and mornings are the best. There is something about the morning that brings hope. It’s a fresh beginning. The sun is rising and the light chases away the darkness hopefully along with any bad memories still lingering from the previous day.

It’s a chance to start again.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lament. 3:22-23)

What a beautiful privilege to meet with the Creator of the universe.

I will admit I was never a morning person. I still connect with the night owl in me but honestly the mornings have taken a whole new meaning. It’s meeting with my Creator before the rest of the house wakes. It’s sitting with a fresh cup of coffee, my prayer journal, His Word, and some silence.

There’s a special stillness in the morning that breathes life into a wary soul.

<Customize this printable by cutting and laminating to use as a bookmark>

By allowing myself this time, I’m asking the Lord to help me with my day. To give me the strength, the wisdom, and the protection. I ask Him because He is the Author of time. It’s His breath in my lungs.

Meeting with the Lord in the morning reminds us of second chances especially in the midst of hard seasons. How many of us have said, “I just want this day to be over”?

Why?

Because another day means another chance. There is something that shifts when the clock strikes twelve. It’s an opening to make different choices. All can be forgotten from that point on. You can reset, restart, and be refreshed.

Here’s a few ways to help you make devotional time a habit and priority in your life but especially in the mornings:

How to Spend Time with God Alone

1) Set the time beforehand and pray about it-

The actual morning time will look different for everyone. However, it should be right before you wake from sleeping a few good hours. Think about whatever “morning” time looks like for you but keep in mind it’s the time before starting your responsibilities for the day.

By setting the time beforehand, you are committing to it. You are mentally preparing for it.

Remember to pray about it. Ask the Lord to help you wake up. Ask Him what a good time is. Ask Him for help.

“Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” (Prov. 16:3)

It can also be adjusted. There may be times where 5am is better than 4am or 6am is better than 7am. If you work overnight, then 2pm may be considered your morning. Be consistent on working at what time is best for you before throwing yourself into the day.

2) Prepare for it-

What will you be doing during this time? Prayer journaling? Reading a Christian devotional book? Worshipping with a set play list?

Preparing is essential to making sure your devotional time is being used efficiently and effectively. Otherwise, you’ll end up falling asleep time and time again. Distractions will easily come or you’ll feel anxious and throw it out like it’s a waste of time.

Do people know you are doing it? If you live with people, making them aware ahead of time can also keep people from interrupting. If you don’t have the option of doing that, then pray for your space and time. Ask the Lord to help you protect it.

Also, make sure you get enough sleep the night before so it doesn’t interfere with your mornings with Jesus. It’s a discipline to get up but also a discipline to go to sleep.

3) Make a devotional basket or space-

Do you have what you need for this time? Books, bible, pens, or anything else you will need?

By keeping your devotional items close at hand, it will make for a smoother and quieter morning rather than rummaging through clothes or desk items trying to find what you need.

Click on this link for a video on, “How to Make a Devotional Basket”.

Some items can include anywhere from pens, bible, prayer journal, devotional books, Christian reads, tissues, chapstick, water bottles, planners, etc. Make it personal and keep your essential items all in one place.

By setting aside a special place or basket for devotional time, it helps keep everything organized, teaches family members or house mates you are in a special time (hopefully you won’t be disturbed unless it’s an emergency), and you will find yourself getting exciting or looking towards that place as a reminder of the amazing time you spend with God.

Devotional Time

Why is this important?

1) Direction-

God is the Eternal God which means He is already in your tomorrow.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Rev. 22:13)

He knows what’s going to happen and what you will need to do to prepare for the day. He may speak to you during this time, prepare you through your praying and the reading of His Word, or refreshing you from trials from the day before.

He will give you the steps necessary to move or the peace to be still in your everyday dealings with life.

2) First Fruits-

First fruits are the first offerings given. In biblical times, it would be the first fruits of the harvest. It’s the best of the best.

“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” (Prov. 3:9-10)

Oftentimes, we think if we give our best we will end up with less or nothing. If we get up early, we will be even more tired for the day. If we give up any time, we will lose and get set back in our responsibilities for the day. However, God will provide abundantly.

God will always honor a heart that seeks Him.

It really is amazing to see the difference in my day when I give my morning to Him and when I don’t. I will always have less energy (energy like physical not in a New Age sense) when I don’t meet with Him in the morning but when I do spend time with Him I see a significant change in my everything.

I can still feel tired but it would be more because I didn’t honor God the night before by getting to bed early enough to not be exhausted for the morning.

I look at my morning as my first fruits of the day. Even though I don’t feel my best, I am dedicating the first part of the day to the One Who gave it to me.

3) Relationship-

Every relationship needs to be cultivated.

It can feel awkward at first. It can feel tedious or insignificant. It might take work. A lot of work. Just like with anything worth building in life, the fruit produced won’t be like any other.

Instead of feeling drained, you will feel revitalized. Instead of feeling like you want less, you will yearn for more. You will look forward to it. You will fight for it.

We are talking about the ability to commune with the Creator of the universe, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the Helper of our souls.

Most people will cultivate things in their life that don’t even matter and won’t have the wisdom to know. Let’s use our time wisely and it begins at the foot of Jesus Christ.

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

Devotional time needs to be the first and last item on our to-do list. We don’t have the luxury to miss out on what God has for us. We will leave our days feeling empty and frustrated which can lead to a recipe for emotional disaster.

I pray this helps you to set your life on a firm foundation starting with your mornings.

Baskets of Blessings,
Nina D.