My Morning Time Basket
We want to, but…
Most of us want to have a morning time for prayer and Bible reading every day. We really do! We decide that we are going to do better, get up earlier, stick with it this time; but more often than not, we fail. It’s not that we don’t want to, but life happens. We’re tired, one of the kids gets sick during the night, the morning is crazy prepping for school for the day, and on and on the list goes. We know that our day goes better when we start it by spending quiet time with God, but fitting in the time is a different story!
The best way to do something consistently is to make it easy and enjoyable. I am all about simplifying! So I am sharing with you what works for me. It’s simple, to-the-point, and effective!
My Best Morning Time Tips
1. Get up early.
This one is so painful! I get it! We have a million and one excuses why we can’t get up early. Just know, you don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn. Do what works for you. All I suggest is that you get up at least half an hour earlier than your kids do. Thirty minutes of quiet time with God with no children around equals bliss!
If your kids wake up at the crack of dawn, and there is no way possible to get up ahead of them, I’ve got you covered. You can make your kids their own basket with a Bible and journal and have them do that quietly while you read your Bible. If they are super little, put a coloring book and crayons in a basket along with a Bible for them. Make it exciting for them. Make it a special time, and I promise they will look forward to it. Learn how to make kids’ morning time baskets here.
2. Light a candle.
This is the first thing I do every morning when I wake up. Lighting a candle adds a level of ambiance and enjoyment to my morning time. My favorite candles are the three-wick candles from Bath and Body Works, but my mom has recently helped me to discover Kirkland’s awesome candles. So right now, I am using those. Some mornings I skip the candle and get my essential oils diffusing. Either one works. I’m simply setting the mood for an enjoyable morning time.
3. Start with a cup of coffee or tea.
It’s such a simple step, but I am so much more awake and in a mood to learn and enjoy my morning time with God if I have a hot drink. So after I light a candle, I head to the kitchen to make coffee. While I am waiting for the coffee to brew, I take a few minutes to unload the dishwasher so it’s open for the day’s dishes.
4. Grab my Morning Time Basket
I love using a morning time basket! This keeps everything I need in one place. I buy a basket that I love. The one I am using now is from Hobby Lobby. (Gotta love Hobby Lobby!) Inside my basket, I keep my Bible, a journal for morning time, pens, notecards, another journal for creative ideas, and books I am currently reading.
5. Use a Journal for an Effective Morning Time
The most important tip for an effective morning time is to use a journal. There is a big difference between just reading your Bible for the day and reading and journaling. When you take the extra step to write down what you learned or what encouraged you, you are taking the extra time to apply what you are reading. It stays with you longer.
I have a journal that I use that Matt and I created several years ago. Eventually, I hope to make those available for sale. For now, you can use any blank journal and use your own system or borrow mine. Here is the system I have used for several years now.
**UPDATE: My Faithfully Stepping Journals are now available on Amazon!! They are a six-month journal, available in three different covers. Click HERE to order one today!
Prayer Time
There are three parts to my prayer time.
- Gratitude. I write down at least three things I am thankful for today.
- Confession. I write down my sins to confess from the day before. What did I do wrong the day before? Did I yell at my kids, snap at my husband, talk bad about somebody, have an attitude, etc?
- Requests. I write down the things I am praying for today.
Bible Reading
Next, in my journal, I write down what passage or passages I read in my Bible. I write down anything I learned or anything that encouraged me. Sometimes I write down a thought that encouraged me; other times I write out a verse that is a help to me.
My Tasks
I have space at the bottom of each journaling page to write down tasks I think of while I am journaling. Maybe it’s a note I need to write somebody. Other times it’s simply something I remembered I need to do and don’t want to forget. This helps me to stay focused. I can write down whatever it is that is distracting me so I don’t forget it, then I can continue with my morning time.
5. Pick a Bible study or a Bible plan to follow.
You can do anything you want for Bible reading each day. Here are some ideas to get you thinking.
- Read one chapter of Proverbs each day.
- Read a chapter from Psalms each day.
- Pick a Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) and read one chapter a day.
- Start in Genesis and read a chapter a day through the entire Bible.
- Read about and study a character from the Bible. Here are some good ones.
- Joseph
- Abraham
- Esther
- Ruth
- David
- Solomon
- Moses
- Elijah
- Leah and Rachel
- Joshua
- Paul
- Jesus
- Lydia
- Mary
- Mary and Martha
- Read and study a book of the Bible. Here are a few of my favorite books to start with.
- John
- James
- I and II Peter
- Philippians
- Esther
- Ruth
- I John
- I and II Samuel
- Ecclesiastes
Here is what I do each day. I read four chapters a day. First, I start with reading two chapters in Genesis, a chapter in Psalms and a chapter in Matthew. I continue that pattern until I read through the entire Bible. Then I start over again. I don’t get stuck on getting through my Bible in a year. When I finish, I just start over again.
Example:
Day 1: Genesis 1 and 2, Psalm 1, Matthew 1
Day 2: Genesis 3 and 4, Psalm 2, Matthew 2
And so on…
The Contents of My Morning Basket
So there you have it- my best tips for an awesome morning time!
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