by Pamela Palmer
Most of us get out of bed each morning and jump right into the daily routine and responsibilities ahead. Sometimes, we may give little thought to how we should start our day.
But as Christians, it can be life-changing to create the habit of starting your day with God. We actually find this concept in scripture.
“In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch” (Psalm 5:3).
Starting your day with God simply means spending time with Him. You can do this in various ways, such as praying and reading Bible verses.
However you do it, the most important thing is to start cultivating this rhythm in your life. There is truly no better way to start your day than to start it with God.
Before the day takes off and you begin to tackle your to-do list and tasks, as a believer, it is spiritually edifying and beneficial to start your day with God. This will make a powerful impact on how you go about your day.
There is an account in the Gospel where Jesus even got away in the early hours to spend time with God (see Mark 1:35). Jesus has set a wonderful example for Christians to follow.
Here are seven reasons to begin your day in fellowship with God:
1. God Desires Relationship with You
God loves humanity. God loves you. He wants a relationship with you where you spend time with Him in prayer, scripture and worship. God delights in His children, and He notices when we wake and go about our day.
God has always been intimately involved in each person’s life. We find in Scripture, stories of God drawing people into a relationship with Him. Start your day with God because He longs to hear from you and be in a relationship with you.
2. You Were Made for Fellowship with God
God is our Creator. He knit each person together in their mother’s womb. We were made to be in a relationship with God. Just as God desires a relationship with you, He made you to be in fellowship with Him.
We were not made to do life alone or apart from God. Starting your day with God satisfies the deepest thirst you have for connection and belonging.
3. You Can Ask God to Guide Your Day
When you start your day with God, you can ask the Lord to help you through struggles you will encounter, through challenges you know are ahead, for help in a specific situation, and for overall help to guide you through the day. God can be a source of strength for hard times, wisdom for decisions that need to be made, and protection as you come and go. Start your day with God because you can commit your day to Him and ask for His help.
4. You Will Feel at Peace
Jesus gives His followers peace over all things (Philippians 4:7). If we start our day with worries and concerns, feelings of fear and anxiety will plague the day ahead. However, when you start your day with God, you will take hold of and enter into the peace that God has for you. Peace is a precious gift from God that we can have the moment we wake up by spending time with Him.
5. You Can Give Thanks
When we approach God, we can come to Him with grateful hearts no matter what is going on in our lives because the goodness and faithfulness of Jesus endures through life’s ups and downs.
There is always something for which we can give thanks (see 1 Thessalonians 5:18). By starting your day with God, you give yourself the chance to give thanks to the Lord and reflect on His grace and love for you.
6. It Can Help You Have a Right Perspective
We are prone to put ourselves first, or worry, or think that we’re in control. However, when you start your day with God, it will give you a right perspective and mindset (see Colossians 3:2).
This practice will serve as a recognition that Jesus is in control and has good plans for you. We need to remember that God is God and we are not. This will help you to surrender your day to the Lord and approach each person, task, or circumstance with more grace and understanding. Having the right perspective can make big differences in all the right ways.
7. It Will Transform Your Heart
The habits we practice shape who we become. Implementing this type of routine to start your day with God will absolutely transform your heart for the Lord. You will seek God, you will grow in love for the Lord, and you will recognize your need for Jesus. When we intentionally spend time with God each day, our hearts become more like His. When you start your day with God, you are allowing the Spirit to work in you and through you.
Page 7 