Do you have a spiritual morning routine? If you’re thinking “Who has time for that?” then stay with me! But think about it for a minute; the way we start our day can have a huge bearing on how it will unfold. Have you ever had one of those days where you oversleep, fight with your spouse, spill the milk at breakfast and bang your head on the car door all before 8.30am? Some days things go from sleep to crazy in no time at all! But what if, as we went about our morning routine, we thought about our spiritual daily routine too?
What if we could learn to prepare ourselves for the day ahead spiritually as well as physically? What if, instead of starting our days at a million miles an hour, we were to come first to God? Could we learn to zone into His frequency with a simple spiritual morning routine? What if we could start the day with peace, gratitude and the joy of the Lord? Sounds good, right? So how do we do it?
Lamentations 3:22-23 says: “His compassions never fail. They are new every morning”. I love that! There is a never-ending wave of God’s goodness towards us, and also a never-failing supply of His forgiveness when we come to ask for it. As Christians, we get to start each day anew! When you wash in the morning, or as you clean your teeth and brush your hair, remember this truth. Make this one of your spiritual morning rituals. As his mercies are new every morning, call to mind that He makes us new each day.
Well, it’s clear that we won’t have a very productive day if we don’t even get dressed! And it’s true isn’t it, that the way we dress affects our confidence? So, let’s get spiritually dressed in the morning, to face full on whatever is coming our way that day. Ephesians 6: 10 -18 reminds us of how we should go about our lives: wearing the full armor of God: “Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. So let's get dressed in God’s armor – and fill our minds with the knowledge that we are forever saved, secure our whole beings with the belt of truth, which reminds us: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7). It does away with lies and insecurities. Let's carry the shield of faith, which looks at impossible situations and says “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). I want to be dressed like that! In every situation that I face throughout the day, I want to remember that I am saved, chosen and loved. The Glorify app is a great tool for this, as it gives you a dedicated passage of scripture each morning to align your head and heart with the truth BEFORE you read the news or even step out of that front door!
We all know that breakfast sets us up for a great day, but what about our spiritual breakfast? For an optimum breakfast, there should be not too much salt or sugar, lots of fruit and fibre, and long-acting carbs for a slow release of energy. In fact, the way we eat in the morning can set us up for a healthier day ahead, because if we pick slow-release carbs, we are less likely we are to pick up unhealthy snacks later on. Take a great breakfast – oatmeal, fruit and peanut butter. The oatmeal will keep your blood sugar under control and give you energy all morning long. The peanut butter provides healthy fats and protein and the fruit gives you a fresh dose of vitamins.
A good breakfast sets you up for the day: it is good for your body, filling it with vitamins and good foods, and it is good for you, as it helps with your energy and concentration levels. My daughter is Type One diabetic, and we know that what she eats for breakfast can positively or negatively affect her whole day. A smart breakfast makes for a much better day for her. But how do we translate this into a spiritual morning routine? How do we make sure we have the vitamins to keep us healthy in body and mind? How do we make sure we have enough long-acting carbs to keep us going through the day, to keep us full of the truth of God? Throughout the Bible, there are numerous comparisons between the word of God and food. In John 6:35, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” In Matthew 4:4, Jesus says “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” In 1 Peter 2:2, Peter urges the church to "crave pure spiritual milk”, like newborn babies, and Psalm 119:103 compares God’s word to honey: “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLlvQb4OW8E His word is the best breakfast we could wish for! So, let’s come and eat well, feasting on the truth of God’s word! Let us “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). (Check out this blog post for more ideas on how to get the most out of God's word).
Have you ever gotten out of the wrong side of the bed? Some days, everything just seems to go wrong and you want to just start over, right? We’ve all been there. But what if the reverse was also true? That because we have put God above everything else, things go right? That because we’ve surrendered everything to God in prayer, we aren’t that annoyed when someone cuts in front of us on the way to work?
We often notice the days when things go wrong, but do we notice the days when things go right? The days when we’re truly feeling happy, at peace and joyful? Do we notice the things we did that day to cause this sense of wellbeing? I notice that on the days when I come first to God, I am less impulsive. It makes me feel quieter, somehow, as if I have started the day off by listening instead of speaking. It puts us in a partnership with God, as when we come to Him in prayer, we open the dialogue, we find out what is on His heart for us today, instead of just running with our own mission (or stress, or busyness). I know which way I’d rather live but it’s easier to say that then to do it isn’t it? Sometimes the day just runs away with us. But with the Glorify app can help you to create your daily religious routine. Bring it with you as you walk or commute to work, or grab five minutes in your lunch hour. So, wash in His word, dress in it and feed on it!
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