“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” Mark 1:35

I’ll come out and say it: I hate mornings. If you look up ‘morning person’ in the dictionary, you’d likely see my name listed in the antonyms section. I generally start my day after 3-4 alarms, some serious mental encouragement, and a little pressure from my 70 lb dog who generally finds it necessary to lay on my face. And after all that, I find myself in a rush to start my day. No quiet time. No prayer. And certainly no personal reflection.

Many times, I find my day defeated before it’s even begun due to a lack of discipline. When I’m not able to spend time in the word and prayer at the start of my day, I find myself vulnerable to frustrations, temptations, and negativity. Intentionally scheduling the time we wake helps us to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” as 2 Corinthians 10:5 describes. That is how we demolish a corrupt culture and keep a principled focus on building mature, Christ-centered life.

Maybe you are like me and find yourself in need of a priority adjustment. Make a conscious choice to give your day to God and you’ll find yourself not getting overwhelmed by the day-to-day. You don’t need it to be an elaborate, organized event because it’s all about your intent in connecting with Him.
This year I’m working on discipline in many areas, including my routine. I hope you’ll join me! Let me know how I can encourage you.