P.O.W.E.R. Morning RoutinesSample

Elements of a Great Morning Routine

There are five basic practices that a Christian should include in his or her morning routine.

Each letter of that acronym stands for one of these practices:

1. Prayer
2. Organization
3. Word
4. Exercise
5. Reading & Writing

Taken together, these five rather mundane-sounding activities form a powerful foundation for a productive and God-honoring day.

Prayer & the Word: Orient Your Heart

I believe the best way for Christians to begin their day is with prayer and Bible reading (right after you’ve made your bed of course). These are the “P” and “W” from the POWER Mornings acronym—prayer and the Word. And there are at least three good reasons to wake up early to read your Bible and pray first thing in the morning.

First, rising early to meet with God is the example we see in Scripture. This is how Jesus started His days. Mark 1:35 says, “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” (NIV). In the busyness of ministry, the only time our Lord could find privacy, peace, and quiet was while others were still sleeping. We see a similar example echoed in the Psalms: “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words” (Ps. 119:147). And in Psalm 5:3, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly” (NIV). Saints throughout history have always made a practice of beginning their day fellowshipping with the Almighty.

Second, beginning the day by reading God’s Word and praying reminds you of your purpose. The cares and troubles of this life have a way of making us myopic. The busier and more stressed we get, the more our eyes tilt downward. We forget to look at Christ and become hyper-focused on our present situation. This is a discouraging and spiritually dangerous posture. In Jesus’ parable of the soils in Mark 4, He describes the thorny soil that chokes out the seed of faith as “the cares of the world” (Mark 4:19). It’s important that we make a habit of lifting our eyes back to Jesus, every single day. Why not prioritize it by praying and reading the Word first thing every morning?

The third reason to begin your morning routine with prayer and Bible reading is that it sets your priorities straight.

The simple choice of picking up your Bible before you pick up your phone in the morning is a cosmic act of defiance against your own sinful heart. When you start your morning with the news, email, or social media, you are setting the tone for the day ahead. Just as a hatchling imprints on the first face it sees, what you first engage with upon waking has an effect on the rest of your day. Put everything else on hold until you’ve first met with God.

It’s not easy to get up early to meet with God. But it’s worth it.

Summary:

• Begin your mornings with God. Make prayer and the Word the first two elements of your productive morning routine.