The Power of "Seek Ye First": How to Transform Your Rushed Morning into a Rich Time with God

Rushed Mornings and the Disconnection from God

What do you do first thing in the morning? What is the first thing that comes to mind the moment your eyes open? Before I devoted my mornings to Jesus, my mind would immediately go to my phone and a nice hot cup of coffee. For most of my early years as a Christian, my thoughts were on the many tasks I had to complete before noon. My mind was racing with productive things to do before I even moved a foot from beneath my sheets. My mornings were so rushed, I didn't realize how disconnected I was from God. 

Many times, our preacher has mentioned the wonderful benefits of starting our day with God. I was convinced I was doing that by sending up a short prayer for God to watch over me, bless my day, and watch over my family. Short and sweet. Sometimes, I would even throw in a Bible verse or two a few days a week. I felt God nudging my heart to dive deeper with Him, but I listened to the reasoning of my flesh instead of the truth from God's heart. After all, how was this mom of three rambunctious girls supposed to carve out time to give God her full attention? 

Finding Grace: When Everything Began to Change

It was many long years before I stepped into grace and asked God to help me find time in my busy day. When I did, things began to change. I began to find random moments throughout the day to steal away and read my Bible. One of the first things God revealed to me was that He comes first. There should be nothing before Him. I pondered these verses, that I was slowly packing in, and through God’s gentle nudge, I decided to start journaling my thoughts. 

I hated journaling and I failed miserably. I have many "started" journals from these first few years. I learned a lot during this time and I had a lot of growing to do. I continued to try to journal through the years, and improved greatly, but I did not enjoy this time as I should have. It was after a trial of great sickness, and the loss of my husband's grandmother, that I fell in love with journaling. 

The "Pasta Notes" Method: From Jumbled Thoughts to Focused Prayer

I call these early years of learning to journal my thoughts “pasta notes.” My mind was so jumbled, I had to figure out a way to organize my thoughts into prayers. I viewed my mind as a big bowl of tangled spaghetti.  I would pull one pasta thought at a time out of my bowl and write it down. After I had my thoughts listed, I would pick one and start talking to God, through pen and paper, about each thought. This changed how I viewed prayer and journaling so much. I could stay more focused and have more to talk about by journaling this way. Pen and paper became my new best friends. Eventually, my prayer time became rich and filled with the presence of God. It is one of my greatest blessings. I wish I had realized the value in this simple act years earlier.

Prioritizing God: Living Out Matthew 6:33 Every Day

The Bible says in ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬‬‬, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” This means to put God first in all things, no matter who or what doing so may effect. I asked myself, "If I do not start my day with God, then who/what am I putting before Him?" So I decided to devote my mornings to God. I now spend several hours in prayer, journaling, reading scripture, and learning from other great authors who have come before me.

Wisdom from the Past: Authors to Deepen Your Morning Devotion

Authors like C. H Spurgeon, Andrew Murrey, C.S. Lewis, E.M. Bounds and many more. Their wisdom has helped me so much in my walk with God and journey of prayer. We are the best version of ourselves when we keep God first priority in our life.

If this post spoke to your heart and you’d like to press deeper in your prayer life, I’d love to invite you to explore Book one of my devotional series, His Name Is Jesus. It was written through the trials and struggles God used to shape my journey of prayer. May its words draw you closer to Him and remind you that everything God touches becomes beautiful.

His Name Is Jesus

His Name Is Jesus