How to Build a Morning Routine
Learn to create a transformational morning routine
Is your morning routine helping you be all that God made you to be?
In this post, I aim to help you create a morning routine with God that builds a daily habit of prayer, Bible reading, and spiritual formation. Ready? Keep reading below for some helpful tips!
I believe that the morning can be a sacred time. A time of refreshment and nourishment that allows you to live from a full cup. Those first couple hours can help set the tone for the day to come. What we feed our heart and spirit with in the morning is what we chew on for the rest of the day. I want to chew on good fruit. That is why I believe having an intentional morning routine that nourishes our soul is such a life-giving practice.
Morning routines are wonderful, but morning routines that center time with God are transformational. Dedicating intentional time to commune with God before starting my day has become an essential part of my faith journey. God fills me, brings me peace, gives me clarity, and empowers me to be who He has called me to be day by day as I seek Him in the morning through prayer and scripture.
By intentional, I do not mean elaborate or lengthy! Intentionality encourages simplicity and selectivity. We can thoughtfully curate a morning routine that honors God and honors our time by choosing quality activities over a large quantity of activities.
We all have varying degrees of time in the morning, which can make it challenging to fit in a morning routine. Here’s the good news: We do not need to complete a laundry list of things to have a “successful” morning routine. I advocate for simplicity, friends. Five minutes of a quality activity can be more powerful than an hour of hurried activities.
Another aside: Have grace with yourself if your morning routine doesn’t necessarily take place in the morning. The priority is to have a dedicated time when you awaken your soul to God. God gives us grace and freedom that we may pursue Him from a place of genuine desire, not legalism.
Morning Routines with God
In this conversation, I define “morning routine” as a consistent daily practice that takes place upon waking and involves dedicated time spent with the Lord. A routine is a regularly followed set of actions that occur on a consistent basis. A morning routine with God involves a consistent daily meeting with the Lord that sets the tone for our day.
Create Your Morning Routine : A Helpful Framework
1 - Simplicity — Maintains clarity & attainability
Focus on quality over quantity! It’s better to complete a few things well than a bunch of things subpar. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to do too much at once. This is all about building your relationship with Christ, not performing.
Choose 2-3 things that you can realistically accomplish within your personal time constraints. For example, I choose to pray by writing my prayers in a journal and I read a passage of Scripture from whichever book of the Bible I am currently reading through. When time and interest permit, I’ll also read a few pages from a book of my choice (often a book that helps me grow in my Christian walk). In the past, my routine incorporated Bible verse memorization, journaling prompts, &/or devotionals. I choose what makes the most sense in the season I’m in, building on the non-negotiables of the routine - prayer and Bible reading. You can scroll to the bottom of this page for some morning routine activity ideas!
Be selective. You don’t have to do everything at once. Consider your current spiritual needs and interests and build from there. You can add and subtract activities from your routine as seasons demand, while maintaining prayer and scripture as the constants.
Consider time. If you only have 10-15 minutes each morning, consider praying for 5 minutes, reading your Bible for another 5 minutes, and then choosing a short 2-5 minute practice to round out your routine when time permits. Also consider incorporating your time with God into other aspects of your morning, like praying while in the shower or listening to Scripture while making breakfast. It’s okay to be creative.
2 - Predictability — Reduces cognitive load, decision fatigue, & disorganization
Plan a fixed program. After choosing the 2-3 activities that will constitute your time with God, decide what those activities will consist of.
Will your morning prayers be verbal or written in a journal?
What book of the Bible will you read for the upcoming days/weeks/months?
Are there any additional activities that you would like to incorporate? (If so, what books or devotionals will you need? What verse do you plan to memorize? What journaling prompts will you use for the week or month? Etc.)
Where will your routine take place (examples: in bed, at a desk, at the kitchen table, in your car, on the couch) and what other factors of the environment will anchor your routine (examples: a cup of coffee while enjoying your time with God, turning on a lamp, lighting a candle)? Don’t underestimate the power of atmosphere!
Determine the sequence of events so that the process flows. In what order do you want to complete your routine? (Examples: pray, journal prompt, Bible reading; pray, Bible reading, read a book of choice; worship song, pray, Bible reading)
Have things prepared to increase ease of completion. Consider placing your Bible and journal near the area that you will spend time with God so that there is easy access. Collect your materials and supplies (such as pens, paper, books, and sticky notes) beforehand.
3 - Consistency — Supports automation & habit formation
Aim to complete your routine daily, even when you don’t feel like it. God has shown up for me big time during the times I least wanted to pray and read the Word.
Being consistent reduces the battle of whether or not to stick to the routine by making the process feel automatic. The routine becomes essential not optional. Habit formation takes time. Consistency helps.
Frequency builds desire. As we begin to follow our routine as regularly as possible, our desire to do it grows. We begin to crave the routine and the fruit it bears in our lives. Skipping begins to feel abnormal because our desires have become renewed through our obedience.
4 - Expectancy — Motivates us to continue our routine
Engage in your routine knowing that when you wholeheartedly seek God, you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
Expect to have your soul/spirit needs met.
Expect God to transform you through your process of communing with Him on a regular, intentional basis.
Thank God for the work He is doing in your heart and life.
I believe that the conversation we have with God in the morning opens us up to a conversation that lasts the rest of our day, life, and into eternity. Devoting some of your morning to the Lord fills you up for the day and builds you up for life. It anchors you in a sure thing amid the shifting sand of life, work, and relationships. It gives you the tools (and the confidence!) to be salt and light. It builds up your spirit and draws you closer to God, who desires to have a relationship with you. You are loved by God. Invite Him into the garden of your life by building a consistent routine with Him and watch the good fruit grow.
What are some essential aspects of your morning routine with God? I’d love to read them in the comments below. Thank you for being part of this community!
Need some ideas for creating your morning routine with God? Here is a little activity bank to help you get started:
The essentials: prayer & Bible reading
Listen to a worship song leading into or closing out your time with God
Write out the same Bible verse everyday until you have it memorized
Read a book that supports your spiritual growth
Use a devotional on a topic of interest (either a physical book or via the Bible App)
Answer a Christian journaling prompt
Listen to part of your church’s past sermons
Sit in complete silence for 2 minutes and listen for God’s voice
Pray specifically to invite the Holy Spirit into your day