Do you identify as a night owl or a morning person?

For the longest time I identified as a night owl and that was by far one of my biggest mistakes. Because of the power of thoughts and words you can unnecessarily languish over your mornings.

Making a plan and developing a routine will make a huge difference in developing your discipline and transforming how you tackle your days

Which brings me to my first point about developing a morning routine in general.

It all starts the night before.

Where it all begins.

The mindset of ending your day and starting your next day go hand in hand.

Think about the sort of mindset and preparation you do the night before your new day. If you are staying up until exhaustion doing mindless things that do not fuel your imagination or your hopes for your future. You will go to sleep with these mindless and unintentional thoughts preparing you for a poor start in the morning. It’s not as if those late night routines and habits disappear overnight. They linger just like that annoying tune or commercial jingle that you can’t get out of your head.

So, what I have tried to make a habit of doing is doing a small “mind dump” before I go to bed. Turn off the screen and write down what is lingering on your mind. I refer to a “mind dump” as writing whatever is on your mind to the page. It’s the act of getting it out of our heads and on to paper that helps us eliminate it’s presence in our minds.

Can’t think of anything? That’s okay! Consider adopting a journaling routine that includes the following framework.

Reflection:

• What went well today?
• What challenges did I face, and how did I handle them?
• How did I see God working in my life today?

Gratitude:

• List three things I’m thankful for from today.
• What was one small moment that brought me joy or peace?

Self-Improvement:

• What could I have done differently today?
• How can I show myself grace in areas where I struggled?

Looking Ahead:

• What are three priorities for tomorrow?
• How do I want to approach the day spiritually, emotionally, and physically?
• What is one thing I can do to make tomorrow a better day than today?

Now that you have some thoughts for the next day down. You want to make sure you have in place a good sleep ritual that prepares your mind and body for restful sleep. I’ll give you some ideas below, but consider writing them down for yourself and keep that routine posted on the wall to aid you as you adopt it for yourself.

First, Set out your clothes for your morning routine and prepare anything to save you time in executing your morning routine.

Dim the Lights (30-60 minutes before sleep):

Technology Shut-Down (Sleep Mode to limit distractions) (30-60 minutes before sleep)

Light stretching to release tension or partner massage (5 minutes)

Read Scripture (10-15 minutes):

Journaling and Surrender your day to the Lord (5-10 minutes)

Prayer or Affirmations (5 minutes):

Tips for your Environment: Ensure your room is cool, dark, and quiet. Consider using white noise, a sound machine, or a calming essential oil like lavender to enhance relaxation.

Additional Food for Thought before Bed

You might want to include things such as brush your teeth, wash your face, shower. Anything that helps you keep this time structured for a season and for your body and nervous system to adapt to the change. Whatever you do, stick with it for at least 40 days. Consistency is key to retraining your body and mind for a new routine.

Now that you have prepared yourself the night before, you can tackle your morning routine with confidence. Waking up and then getting out of the bed is less challenging with this already done.

One additional benefit of having a night time routine is understanding how much time you need to get to bed and to get the rest you need. Now, everyone is different and I recommend that as you progressively adapt to your new routine to experiment with what your body needs to feel rested.

There are a lot of factors that can go into this. So be sure to also keep in mind that not consuming caffeine in the evenings and not eating a late dinner can also impact your ability to get the sleep you need in addition to any other health related factors. Generally, most individuals need anywhere between 6-8 hours of sleep for your body to go through enough REM cycles to feel rested.

When We Wake

Now below is a suggested morning routine. This might be a good starting point and adapt as you need to for your own goals. Keep in mind that this is a progressive change. It’s hard to implement so many things “cold turkey” So, be gracious to yourself as you make changes and adapt your life to this plan.

Wake Up Early (Suggested: 5:30-6:00 AM):

• Start your day early to have plenty of time for each goal you have for your morning without rushing.
• Begin with a glass of water to hydrate your body after sleep. Hold off on the coffee.

Prayer & Meditation (10-15 minutes):

• Start your day with a prayer of, gratitude, worship, and guidance for the day.

Scripture Reading & Devotion (15-20 minutes):

• Open a pre selected scripture reading plan or devotion and spend time reading and reflecting on it.
• This doesn’t need to be deep bible study. Just time with the Lord in reflection of the scriptural truths you read in less than 20 minutes.

Exercise (60 minutes):

• Move your body. I think this is particularly important. Almost like making it a habit to make your bed. You need the fuel of “easy” wins to start your day. Use a simple gym split of compound movements or do a mix of cardio and calisthenics in your home.
• Morning exercise helps boost energy, focus, and productivity for the rest of the day.

Cool Down & Stretch (5-10 minutes):

• Don’t forget to stretch! Cool-down and relax your muscles to reduce stiffness.

Shower & Get Ready (15-20 minutes):

• Refresh yourself with a shower and get dressed for the day.

Hardy Breakfast (20 minutes):

• Prepare and eat a nutritious, hearty breakfast with a good balance of protein, fiber, and healthy fats (e.g., eggs, sausage, avocado toast).
• Try not to cram it down. Take your time to eat mindfully.

Business Planning & Priority Tasks (30-45 minutes):

• Set aside time to focus on your business ventures or side hustle.
• Begin by reviewing your goals, then tackle one or two key tasks for the day. This might include planning content, responding to emails, or reviewing marketing strategies.
• Ensure you’re working on high-priority tasks that align with your long-term goals.

Review & Set Intentions for the Day (5-10 minutes):

• Reflect on your day’s goals and priorities, adjusting if needed.
• Take a moment to ask God for guidance and strength for the day ahead.

Now, that is pretty extensive and I have to say I have really tried to make adaptations to this plan for myself and it has taken a long time to implement in a season of young kids, sleepless nights, and busy schedules. The night before is crucial to your success. Be gracious to yourself and be compassionate toward others who might not be on the same page with your routine. Keep in mind that they are also not up to speed to your personal goals.

Whatever you do trust the Lord in it and give it to him.

This might sound counter intuitive but that’s the point. Stillness is movement in your spiritual life. In fact, you may not realize that stillness is the best thing you could do for your spiritual life. Especially if things feel stagnant.

God got my attention about 10 years ago when he woke me up to the fact that I was headed no where and fast with my spiritual growth and development.

I lacked true depth because I couldn’t be still.

I couldn’t be still because I was afraid of the change that God really needed to do in me. Which brings me to Psalm 46:10

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

On the flip side, that means, “Be still, and know that I (Adam) am not God.”

I think on the face of it, most of us know that we are not God. But deep down it’s hard admit that we really don’t have control. We want the level control over our “narrative” and destiny and yet, we are out of control so often.

Let’s get into what we mean here about stillness and why it is so important to the Christian walk.

You Can’t Afford To Not Be Still

I’ve been covering a lot of Christian disciplines and practices and what seems to be a theme that binds them all together is this idea of slowing down, being still, and listening.

All of these ideas are postures before God. We are necessarily talking about physical posture, although you might find it helpful to sit and physically be still. We are talking about quieting your mind and heart.

I think of the Psalm 131 when it talks about how we calm our souls like a child is weaned.

Psalm 131:2: “But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.”

Now isn’t that an incredible picture. Weaning is a slow process, but in some respects it’s intentional. It’s a healthy and necessary process for the child’s development. A weaned child is also old enough in how it handles not having it’s mothers milk. It’s calm and confident and not seeking it’s mother because it is now filled not only physically by whole foods, but emotionally as well. The child is no longer seeking its mother for comfort in this sense any more.

Wow! Now, David emphasizes his effort to calm his soul himself. This give me great assurance that I am capable of calming myself.

It is a good thing to seek stillness and calmness but to be empowered to command your soul in this way should be powerful for you.

Even still, you can cry out to God and He will meet you to help calm you soul as you feel turmoil within and struggle to calm yourself in the middle of life’s chaos.

Most times, I struggle to even try to ask God and to wait patiently for His answer. I demand from God when I ought not to because of my stubborn attitude or selfish ways.

Even more so to reflect and spend more time to become self aware of your bent in many of life’s situations.

Our stillness demonstrates to God that we are willing to submit to His sovereign hand.

Stillness Packs a Punch

Stillness is hard to come by when you have SO many responsibilities any given day. As parents this has revealed itself in a whole new way in our lives.

It feels almost impossible unless you break the spacetime continuum and find a way to tap into extra hours each day. It’s hard to get it all in.

I’ve found that this is a matter of evaluating how you spend your time and how you prioritize it.

I’m just as guilty of wasting my precious time on things that are not fulfilling my goals, roles, and responsibilities.

Self awareness is key and a willingness to learn the hard way is crucial to taking steps in the right direction here.

So, making stillness a priority will come when we realize the benefits it brings.

Spiritual Clarity. I talked extensively about cutting out the noise in order to hear God’s voice in another post. Stillness gives us the space to have clarity of mind in our relationship with God.

Inner Peace. This leads to a clean conscious when we have spiritual clarity and we have done “business” with God. When I know I am right with Him and I have done all that He has called me to do in this life with my life. I have peace within.

Renewal. Isiah 40:31 says: Isaiah 40:31

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

We gain strength in our walk through this process of being still and waiting on the Lord.

So why is it hard to be still?

When I think of stillness sometimes I think of asking a toddler to sit still while eating their lunch. It feels impossible!

I think it’s challenging to be still for a couple of reasons.

Our culture promotes busyness. We are driven by societal norms to never slow down. That comes with a world of pressures in and of itself that are guided by the idea of productivity and achieving goals. We are constantly faced with the decision to keep going and never slow down or else we will miss out. FOMO!

We are afraid of the silence. I am waiting for the day we no longer turn on the sound maker for my kids to sleep to because I’m wondering how they will handle the silence that lets every little noise break through. Which brings me to why I think we are afraid of the stillness, because we are afraid of what we will actually hear. In ourselves or from God. Stillness forces us to see what is really there. Like peering into the night sky to see the stars as they come into view and our eyes adjust. We have to be still and widen our eyes to see them.

Fear brings about a world of discomfort that we are forced to face when we are still. This uncomfortable journey is one we must embrace if we anticipate or desire God to work in us in new and expansive ways.

So how do we get still before God?

Know that you will always be working against the push of the busyness of life to get this time. Especially if you’re not use to doing so.

You need to create the routine and space for stillness. Which means you may need to create the margins to do this. Margins in physical space. Margins in your time.

That’s why so many rise early to get in their quiet time. It is often the best time to have stillness before the rush of the work day and loved ones are awake.

Start your time with prayer and talking with God. Maybe some scripture reading. I’ve encouraged clients to just dump their minds into a journal and to just get their first thoughts out and to then pray and offer those thoughts to the Lord.

What’s important is that you understand this is an intentional effort that you must make for yourself and you will always be confronting the demands of life. Don’t let that trigger you. Embrace the challenge as a given and adapt as you have need to adapt.

Be Encouraged. You are not alone.

Many face the challenges of finding the stillness that you need and seek. Don’t be discouraged in your journey for you are among many faithful servants of the Lord who long to be at home with him.

Psalm 62:5: “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.”

Exodus 14:14: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Isaiah 30:15: “In quietness and trust is your strength.”

Start today.

Don’t hesitate. Start practicing stillness today. Take small steps at first and build a routine that will feed your soul. If you have religious roots that have led you into a self righteous or religious “box checking” spirit, take the time you need to process and work through those emotional religious challenges.

Sometime ago I was introduced to “Biblical Affirmations” by Craig Groeschel on The Craig Groeschel’s Leadership Podcast.

It should not have been a new concept to me. But I will admit that the idea of “recapturing affirmations” from what at the time was thought of as simply positive affirmations and self-image boosting was an interesting idea to me but not necessary for the Christian life.

What I did not realize was that this practice of biblical affirmations was not simply Christian positivity. Rather, exercising our memory of God’s truths from the scriptures. Oddly enough affirming Biblical truths in my heart and mind was a radical concept for daily renewal in spite of my history of being raised in the church.

Maybe the mix of new age, the dawn of self-help culture, and Tony Robbins ruined my idea of positive affirmations and affirming one’s beliefs in this way. But what does the enemy do best. Kill, steal, and destroy. Don’t let the enemy keep you from this powerful practice of aligning your beliefs to God’s truths.

Reconnect with your deepest convictions and align them with the scriptures. This is an excellent devotional practice. Keep in mind our emphasis on biblical. Affirmations are rooted in scripture and sometimes are simply scripture itself.

Here are some examples of biblical affirmations:

1. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
   • “I am uniquely created by God and have value and purpose.”
2. God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
   • “I walk in boldness, love, and self-control, knowing God is with me.”
3. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
   • “With Christ’s strength, I can overcome any obstacle.”
4. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)
   • “God provides all my needs; I lack nothing in Him.”
5. I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved me. (Romans 8:37)
   • “In Christ, I have victory over every challenge.”
6. God’s grace is sufficient for me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
   • “No matter my weakness, God’s grace empowers me.”

Craig’s affirmations are great. I will link to them here because I adopted them for myself. But if you are not in the habit of affirming these beliefs with deep conviction then this can quickly become a religious exercise. So test your heart.

That being said, I want to encourage some degree of caution and direction with this practice. Affirmations can be powerful but we must make sure they align with truth. I’ve often seen believers affirming what they thought to be true when in fact the affirmation was a regurgitated mantra from other religious practices and not from God. This is why, without going into great detail, I think the practice of positive affirmations has been tainted and quite dangerous. As Christians our identities are founded in Christ and not in the words we repeat to ourselves. There is no mystery to this practice other than receiving what God has already freely given to us.

One thing I recommend doing is recording yourself saying your affirmations and then listening to them back. Listen to your heart. To your conviction. Let that convict you.

Another step to this journey for me and one I think you should consider is creating a affirmations movie. This is something you put together for yourself to remind yourself of the truths and vision God has for your life in a movie format.

This does take some effort, but it is a concept I find very interesting and to implement it in daily reflection could be quite powerful.

If you struggle with the thoughts you have in your mind. Consider talking them through with a mentor or coach. It is incredibly helpful just to hear yourself say some of the thoughts you have churning in your mind.

I hope this encourages you to reflect and ponder your thoughts and beliefs and to not let the enemy take hold of your precious thought life with lies. You can take them captive.

Be blessed!