Organise your mornings

We start our day having rested through the night with renewed strength and energy, set to tackle whatever the day brings. It is good to start well by organising ourselves and our families from the time we wake because it can greatly affect the rest of the day.

#Mind set to succeed

Most of us were raised to start the day with activities that focussed our minds on practices that benefited our mental wellbeing, such as learning to read the Bible and pray.

Having a mind that seeks God first thing in the morning, helps us with the boldness and confidence that allows the Holy Spirit into everything we set to do.

The Bible shows how those used by God, people who were firm in their faith, such as David, Daniel and the apostles where men and women who sought Him day and night.

Also, Jesus said to pray without ceasing. To keep this in focus, we must proactively and intentionally make time to come before the LORD and seek Him. It is having a time in which we say to the LORD, I desire to meet each day with You and need help without fail to accomplish what my flesh might be too weak to fulfil. Help me by Your Spirit not to fail.

#God helps

Our coming before God is important. It sets our minds to face the day and empowers us to succeed whatever the challenges we encounter knowing we have taken the right step by placing our lives in His hand before venturing out into the world. Where we lack the effort in ourselves to get up, God sends His angel to support and help us. It is His will that we seek Him and ask for divine favour as children.

#The will of God we succeed

The LORD will help us move from a place of weakness to strength. We grow in discipline by asking the LORD to strengthen us by daily asking and seeking for help, so long as we don't grow lukewarm and lazy by allowing other things take over.

Putting away our phones or desire for anything else, we are able to set aside the time.

When Moses drew near the burning bush, he was asked to remove his sandal for the place where he was standing was holy--Exodus 3:5.

I remember around 1987 when I lived in Nigeria and held morning devotions with my house-help in my lounge. I learned the importance of coming before the LORD and having a sanctified space when a relative who tried to harm me refused earlier requests to join in morning devotions. When I insisted while in the lounge she should tell me why she was acting against me as informed by the Holy Spirit, said she could not speak in the lounge because we pray there.

#How much time can be allocated

When young, it is sometimes difficult to wake up in the morning to join the family for devotion. I am grateful for a mother who found a way round it by making sure we stopped watching telly at a certain hour and retire to bed early. Although I was sometimes not happy to be woken when tired, as I grew older became grateful for the the discipline as I learned the importance of the Father's Presence.

When children are involved early with discipline, get used to respecting family wishes as they get older. But when they grow older before starting becomes difficult to implement.

#Importance of dawn and night devotion

The morning devotion as a family never failed, as that became a family routine. However, the night was often by individual choice as we failed to be home at the same time due to various activities.

From experience, the enemy tends to cause tiredness to prevent an organised time with the LORD.

Also the night sometimes is attacked with the spirit of slumber so that we become lazy, easily overcome by the weight of tiredness where the enemy then oppresses and we sleep off.

It is important beside the times in the morning or night to seek opportunity in the day to look up or kneel and be thankful no matter how brief.

Our lives will significantly take a new direction if we organise our mornings by putting God first.

When we get our children involved, it provides great opportunity to teach them to read by using the Bible as a study text before they start school by encouraging them to read and pray no matter how young.

Adjust your morning by fitting in fifteen to thirty minutes before breakfast and daily activity. You'll see the change in your energy level and family life if you do not give up.

A sound mind and good mental health starts with worship-- praise, Bible reading and prayers.

Copyright--Ofonmbuk Ufot--2024